


How to Break the News You're Sleeping with Captain America without Even Trying

by Fodforever



Series: Whatever It Takes - The Series [2]
Category: Captain America (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Accidental Voyeurism, Avengers Family, Blushing Steve Rogers, Bottom Steve Rogers, Bottom Tony Stark, Coming Out, Domestic Avengers, Dubious Science, Embarrassed Steve Rogers, Feels, Fluff, James "Rhodey" Rhodes is a Good Bro, Jarvis (Iron Man movies) Feels, M/M, Past Pepper Potts/Tony Stark, Porn with Feelings, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Public Display of Affection, Secret Relationship, Shower Sex, Sneaking Around, Switching, Top Steve Rogers, Top Tony Stark, Troll Thor, Voyeurism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-25
Updated: 2020-07-11
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:22:10
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 23,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24903757
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fodforever/pseuds/Fodforever
Summary: This story will devote each chapter to how different people on the team (plus Pepper) learn about Steve and Tony's relationship.Pepper is shocked.Scott is a little turned on.Rhodey is supportive.Nat and Sam are smug.Wanda and Vision are nuetral.Peter is excited.Thor just wants to tag along on their date.Bruce is worried, but not for the reasons you'd think.This part two of a series. Part one is Whatever It Takes, a story which covers a large timeframe (from before Thanos to many years post Thanos). It will make more sense if you read that first, but to sum up: Steve goes to see Tony a few months after Civil War and they have tons of sex and work their shit out. In that order. That ends up saving the universe from Thanos.
Relationships: Steve Rogers/Tony Stark
Series: Whatever It Takes - The Series [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1801996
Comments: 94
Kudos: 246





	1. Pepper - Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> Whatever It Takes - The Series (named thusly because I couldn't think of anything better) will hop around in time. 
> 
> This story takes place right after the team is reunited, roughly five months before Thanos shows up. And then a couple chapters take place post Thanos (to see how Thor and Bruce react to learning about Steve/Tony).

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pepper finds out.

Pepper finds out Tony is sleeping with Steve in basically the worst way possible. 

Steve and the others are officially pardoned through the approval of the “Sokovia Accords II,” about one month after Steve’s surprise visit to (what was formerly) Stark Tower. Tony _may_ have used a considerable amount of money to slice through the red tape that normally delays such swift governmental action. 

When asked in interviews and official hearings about it, he says the same sound bite over and over:  
  
“Yes, I am using my own personal wealth to fund the “Change Accords for Progress Political Action Committee.” Because this planet needs united heroes. It’s safe to assume another event like the Chitauri invasion of New York _will_ happen, and when it does, we need everyone together. The previous Accords were drafted out of fear and reactionism. The CAP PAC and the changes it promotes to the Accords are the key to a safer present and a safer future.”

But well, while that is all true, Tony is also basically just dying to see his boyfriend again. Or, partner? Special fella? That’s the thing, he doesn’t even know what they’re calling themselves. 

He needs Steve.

So when Steve and the rest of the lost boys (and girls) return home, Tony’s focus is split about 50/50, half of his attentions go to settling everyone in at the compound, making sure the team is bonding, and continuing to advocate for Bucky (who’s case wasn’t totally covered by the Accords II, which means he is still in limbo in Wakanda).

The other half is on Steve, and when he can be alone with Steve, and what Steve smells like, and how Steve laughs, and _when can he be alone with Steve_.

Steve and the others have been officially moved in to the compound for five days when by some miracle, everyone has plans, leaving Steve and Tony alone. Vision and Wanda are out in the city (on a date they aren’t calling a date), Rhodey is off at some military PTSD-awareness thing and took Sam, Scott is still home with his family (and figuring out exactly how he wants to juggle his life in San Francisco with being an Avenger), Nat is visiting Clint and his family. It’s perfect.

Unfortunately, by the time Tony realizes what a perfect opportunity this is, Steve has already left for his morning run.

The nano-comms devices they were all equipped with upon moving in were supposed to be for Avengers business only, but Tony doesn’t know if Steve has his phone, and he’s not going to let this chance slip by. 

It’s been a five days of sly glances, heated texting, hurried kisses in abandoned hallways and two aborted attempts to sneak into each other’s rooms in the middle of the night (you try hooking up when you live with a guy who phases through walls and doesn’t need sleep). Tony is actually considering building a secret passageway between the compound’s master suite and Steve’s room, or kenneling Vision at night. Or hell just announcing their relationship at the next team meal, because Five. Days.

“Steve, where are you?”

“Tony, what’s wrong? I’m out on a run, I can be back in 30 minutes, what’s the situation?”

“What’s wrong? What’s wrong? What’s wrong is that this is the first time in over a month I have the chance to have your cock in my ass, and you’re out running!”

Steve expels a blast of air through his nose and composes himself. “Tony… these communicators were supposed to be for official Avengers comms…”

“Yeah, well I _officially_ need you to fuck me, come back, everyone is gone.”

Steve is conflicted. It doesn’t feel healthy to just abandon his routine and come running just because the others are out. They need to figure out how to do this without it feeling like, like some kind of affair.

“Tony, I go for a two-hour run every morning at 6 am. It’s 7 am, why are you even up?”

“Because! My dick could sense what a perfect opportunity this is! Are you seriously going to run for another hour?”

“Tony, I’ll be there when I’m done, okay? Everyone is going to be gone all day.” 

Tony makes a strangled noise. “Fine! But you’ll regret it when we are starting round three and Vision pops his head through the wall to ask what’s for dinner!” 

“I’m sure I will; see you in an hour Tony.” Steve laughs as he ends the transmission and turns around. If he pushes it he can be back there and in Tony’s suite in 20 minutes.

* * *

Tony runs his hands through his hair in frustration. He can’t tell if he’s being too needy or if Steve is being a stick in the mud. Either way he decides to get a move on the proceedings himself. If Steve wants to waste an hour on a run, Tony can a least save them some time by prepping himself.

He takes his time, grabbing some lube and one of the largest butt-plugs he has. It’s actually similar in size to Steve, so with all the prep taken care of by Tony, Steve should be able to just slide right home the minute he enters the suite.

Tony doesn’t really love the idea of rewarding Steve putting him off, but at this point he’s too excited to care what sort of message this sends. He’s just slipped the plug all the way in, and is breathing deep to adjust when a vid-screen call comes in from Pepper. 

Tony groans. “Friday, tell Pepper I need to call her later.”

“She says it’s urgent, Boss.”

Tony takes stock of himself. He still has his shirt on, the vid-screen would just show him from the shoulders up with the rest of the room in the background. The lube and his other toys aren’t in frame… and Steve still isn’t due for another 40 minutes. If his plans come to fruition, he’ll be busy with Steve for at least the next several hours. So if this is something urgent, better to take care of it now.

Tony takes one more deep breath. 

“Alright, on-screen Fri.”

Pepper’s crisp face appears in front of him. She looks him over and her mouth turns into a tight line. 

“Tony, are you okay?”

Oh fuck, this was probably a terrible idea. He checks his reflection in the small outgoing screen in the corner similar to a webcam. He’s flushed. Fuck, what was he thinking? Pepper knows what he looks like when he’s aroused! But she said it was urgent…

“I’m fine Pep, just caught me mid-workout. You know how it goes, can’t Avenge if you skip cardio.” 

Her face relaxes somewhat. Over the last few months they’ve found a rhythm. Almost all of their interactions are based around SI or the Foundation, but things nearly feel normal again. The break-up was almost five months ago, and Tony knows he’s been handling it better than any of their previous breaks or break-ups. 

Pepper hasn’t said anything, but there’s this air of… confused respect whenever they interact. Like she can’t believe he’s being so mature about it, or she can’t believe he isn’t asking her to come back.

He knows he needs to tell Pepper about Steve, but that will come once the team has settled in at the compound. Maybe in a month or two… 

* * *

Steve gets back to the compound in record time. He considers going to his room to shower, but he really wants to surprise Tony. He’s only a couple minutes out now, and decides to head straight for the master suite. Tony provided him blanket access to everywhere on the compound. He cranks his music up in his wireless ear buds for the last sprint, a wide smile plastered to his face.

He enters the suite with tunnel-vision, quickly stripping off his clothes and heading straight for the bathroom. Tony showed him the suite on his first day here under the guise of a grand tour for him as team leader (wherein they got a hurried make-out session in before Sam came around asking how to work the TV). 

The suite has a little entryway, then a long, curved living area and bar similar to the one in the tower penthouse. There are two doors off of that at the far end, one for the bathroom and one for the bedroom. Steve doesn’t even bother to locate Tony, sure he must be either in the bedroom or in the portion of the living area that’s just out of view. 

They have both been so patient, he doesn’t want to wait any more.

* * *

Pepper has just started outlining the issue with the new payroll software system for SI when she stops mid-sentence.

“So we need to isolate the bug by Friday or half the company won’t get paid for-“

Tony tilts his head and waves his hand in front of the screen. Pepper looks frozen, but that can’t be right. The new comms system he’s installed should work even in the event of a nuclear blast.

“Pepper?”

Then he hears something that makes his blood run cold. And hot.

“Tony, come let me fuck you in the shower!”

Pepper chokes.

Tony whips his head around to see the back of Steve’s naked ass crossing the living area and entering the bathroom. Tony can now faintly hear the music coming from Steve’s earbuds all the way over where he is in the living room. He was just out of Steve’s sight in the curved portion of the living room that is separated from the entryway, but the angle of the view-screen gave Pepper a view of the entire room.

A view of the entirety of Steve.

Oh god. 

And she no doubt heard him as well thanks to Tony’s incredibly advanced comms system. 

“Tony, what? What the fuck?!”

Tony has never. _Never_ heard Pepper say the word fuck. He’s pretty sure she has said the word, like, maybe if she was alone and stubbed her toe? But around Tony, not even once.

When they were in a relationship she always seemed to keep her calm professional demeanor, even when it was just the two of them. Probably thought she could lead by example for him or something.

Tony is not prepared for this. He has no chance to think of what to say, so he just starts talking…

“Pepper, Pep. Hold on, okay? Look that’s not… that’s not at all how I wanted you to find out about this. Umm, I’m sorry? I don’t know what to say here, we… you…”

Pepper holds up her hand to silence Tony’s stuttering. Tony hears the shower turn on. Shit, he can’t let Steve wait too long or he’ll come back out here. He turns 180 degrees so that the view-screen is no longer facing the living room and bathroom, at least. Now the view Pepper has is just his super classy bookshelves and widescreen TV. Maybe she’ll think it’s so well-appointed she’ll be distracted from the fact that she just saw Captain America’s ass.

“How long?” her voice is steely. 

“Uh, well we met up about five weeks ago to get everything figured out with the Accords… it sort of happened then.” 

“Tony… what are you doing?? Do you have any idea how worried I’ve been about you just, just being Steve’s _teammate_ again? He drilled his shield into your _chest_ , Tony! You two broke up the team over what happened, how can you… how can you possibly think this is a good idea? Do you even remember the last six months?!”

Something flares up in Tony then. Some old hurt he’s been nursing for a long time, along with a new burning need to defend Steve. 

He tenses all over, which reminds him there’s a huge butt plug in his ass. He closes his eyes to focus, willing himself to say the right thing. He opens them and looks Pepper in the eye. 

“Pepper, thank you for your concern. I know this has come as a shock, and again, I am so sorry you found out this way.” Good, good, that’s a good start. Really mature.

“But let me remind _you_ of a few things. One, you broke up with me. You decided that you couldn’t be a part of my life in that way anymore. So while I still love and respect you as a friend, you don’t really get a say in this. Like, _at all_ . And yes, I _do_ remember the last six months. They were some of the hardest of my life. And you know what? Because Steve and I were able to figure our shit out, I’m actually optimistic that the next six will be the best.”

Pepper looks pained by his last admission. Fuck, Tony doesn’t want to hurt her. 

There’s a long silence before she can seem to say anything else.

“I don’t know how you can expect me to react any differently, Tony. I just saw Steve _naked_. In your bedroom. Telling you he wants to-”

“Technically this is the living room…”

“Tony.”

Tony sighs. “I didn’t plan this, okay? It’s not something I ever even thought was possible.”

Pepper lets out a small noise. “Are you even… god Tony I didn’t even think you… with men. I know there were those rumors when you were younger, but you’ve never talked about, never in all the time I’ve known you … I’m just… and Steve?” she looks so lost.

Tony feels that sharp feeling flare up again. “Pepper, honestly I thought it was pretty common knowledge that I’m bi? It’s on my Wikipedia page! I wasn’t going to like, check guys out in front of you, okay? And what even does that have to do… I’m not really sure why my sexuality is suddenly on trial?”

Tony glances up to see Steve in the bathroom doorway, looking stunned. Fuck.

Pepper gets that face she gets when she thinks Tony isn’t understanding her. “That’s not what I-“ 

Tony interrupts. “Look I – I’m really sorry, I know this is a shock. Let’s… let’s get something on the calendar next week okay, lunch, in person. I’ll fly to you.”

“Fine.” Her tone is clipped, but she looks resigned.

“Call Jeremy, the one with the lisp in IT? He can figure out the payroll bug, and if not, have him send the test automation results to my pad and I’ll take a look.” 

Pepper nods, and Tony can’t take it anymore, he swipes to end the call. 

Steve moves forward looking panicked. “Did she… did she hear what I yelled out?”

Tony rubs his hands over his face, almost laughing because it’s so horrifying. “She did… she also saw your naked ass walk across the frame, because I was on the call with the whole room in the background when you came in."

Steve looks like he wants to die. He is beat-red. “Friday, why didn’t you tell me Tony was on the phone and had a vid-screen up?!”

“Apologies Captain, you’re spacial awareness and observation skills are usually quite apt, I had assumed you would ascertain the situation on your own upon entering.” 

“Oh my god Tony, I’m so sorry. Oh my god…”

Suddenly having a naked Steve here in front of him makes Tony relax and get things into perspective. “Hey, hey, come on Captain Beautiful, we’re alright.”

Steve’s shoulders relax slightly at the pet name. “How is _anything_ about this alright Tony?”

Tony walks over, stripping off his shirt. He isn’t really focused on sex at the moment, even though they’re both naked and he still has a butt plug up his ass. He just wants to feel Steve’s skin on his. He pulls Steve to him into a firm hug. 

“It’s alright, because even though things will be awkward with Pepper for a while, I’m glad she knows. And I know you’re embarrassed, but honestly, Pepper was my assistant for a lot of years, and she saw things that were waaaay worse than that.”

Steve snorts. “I’m not sure that’s as comforting as you think it is.” 

God Steve smells great, like pomegranate and vanilla. Suddenly he can’t seem to focus on Pepper anymore. Steve is here, in his arms, finally.

“I think you said something about fucking me in the shower?”

Steve blushes again, his skin is a vision of various shades of pink and cream.

“Tony…” Steve’s tone is hesitant, but he’s hard against Tony’s abdomen.

Tony takes Steve’s hand from where its resting at his lower back and slides it down, down.

“Oh… oh god” says Steve, as his fingers brush the exposed area of the plug.

“I wanted to be ready for you.” Tony murmurs into Steve’s chest. 

In response to his words Tony can feel a spurt of precum leak out of Steve's ever-hardening cock against his belly. 

Steve runs one hand more purposefully over the plug, his other grasping Tony’s ass and squeezing. He swallows.

“Yeah, yeah Tony let’s go shower.” 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, things get explicit with you guessed it, more shower sex! (See Whatever It Takes the first story in this series to understand Tony's high-tech shower).


	2. Pepper - Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mainly shower sex. Also Tony and Pepper have lunch.

Tony guides Steve into the bathroom and tells the shower “Activate Blue 2.” 

A similar set-up to the shower setting Steve initially saw all those weeks ago emerges, with a single shelving unit coming out adjacent to a six-inch-high platform against the shower’s main wall. This platform is about a meter wide but only about a foot deep. Two sets of hand-rails emerge from the wall above it. 

Tony steps up on to the platform and grabs the lower set of hand-holds which are about two feet above his head in either direction. He spreads his legs and looks back over his shoulder at Steve, his lean body stretched out in a tantalizing X. 

“Please Steve, I can’t wait any more.”

Steve feels like his hands are shaking, but when he looks down, they’re steady. 

He comes up behind Tony, overwhelmed. He runs his hands up and down his back, before going lower to cup his ass. Steve spreads him wide to get a better look at the plug. Jesus, it’s big. The width a little bigger than Steve's cock is maybe, he won't be able to tell for sure until it's out.

He dimly notices that the plug is a deep purple, and has glitter suspended inside it.

Steve can’t wait anymore either. He grasps the plug’s flat handle, turning it slowly, experimentally. The glitter swirls around, like a galaxy of stars.

“Steve, Steve, yes, please, take it out of me, I need you in its place. Please, it’s been so long, been fucking myself silly with dildos, need you.”

Steve burns at the thought of Tony inserting various toys inside himself, pretending they're him. Thinking of Steve while he pleasures himself, while Steve has been doing the same, thinking of Tony. 

Tony lets out a little whine, desperate for Steve to do more than slowly twist the plug.

Steve comes back to himself and pulls on the plug gently, worried about hurting Tony. His mind alight with his words. There’s some resistance as he eases out the widest part (yes, just about his size), but then it slides out smoothly. He tosses it onto the nearby shelf into a pile of washcloths and positions himself at Tony’s entrance.

The platform Tony is standing on aligns them perfectly. He pushes forward slowly, conscious that even though Tony has been stretched he needs to be careful. 

In the weeks they’ve been apart Steve has been actively trying to hone his control while he’s worked up. He’d get himself right to the edge of orgasm, and then force himself to stop, and do something that takes a delicate hand. Sew a patch onto one of his socks, draw a small still life. After many broken pencils and pricked fingers, he feels more confident controlling himself around Tony in this state. 

That is, until he slides home all the way inside. It feels like all that effort may have been for nothing. Like tossing the ball around in the backyard to prepare for suddenly playing in the World Series.

Nothing compares to this. This incredible heat, the knowledge that he’s inside Tony, filling him, taking him for his own. He lets out a desperate noise.

“Hand-holds, Steve.” Tony reminds him. Steve looks up and sees the second set of handholds several inches above the ones Tony is grasping. He reaches out for them, finding that they provide the perfect leverage for him to take Tony from behind.

Anything else flits out of Steves mind. This is everything. 

His grip on the handrails is firm but they feel solid. Tony must have upgraded this shower to accommodate his strength, he thinks, as he pulls out and slides deftly back into Tony to the hilt. It feels so good to take him like this, to surround him from behind, while being firmly teathered to the wall. He thrusts once more.

He has to pause and close his eyes. 

“Fuck, Tony, I’m not gonna last." Steve confesses. "I’ve been hard since you called me… had to tuck my erection into my waistband and run back here full-tilt.” 

Tony lets out a breathless laugh. 

“Uh, hmm, just come Steve. I want you to."

Tony goes slack against him, losing himself in his narration. "Yeah Steve, just come, we both know you probably won’t even go soft. Come in me and keep fucking me, fill me with your come and come again, then plug me back up, make me keep it inside. Let me wear the plug again with everything you can give me, keep part of you while we eat dinner tonight with the team, plugged up and full of you, nobody will know, just for you…”

Steve comes. 

He's so wrapped up in what Tony is saying it feels like it hits him out of no-where. He just lets go, still fully encased in Tony. Tony babbles through it, egging him on. Finally when he's done, he rests his forehead for a moment in the cradle of Tony’s neck and shoulder. 

Tony’s right, he’s still hard. Once the sparks clear from his vision he begins sliding in and out of him again. He’s a little sensitive, but the incredible amount of ejaculate he just released eases the way. He finds a smooth rhythm almost immediately. 

Tony is blissed out, just leaning back against Steve with his eyes closed and his mouth agape in pleasure. Steve notices the shower doesn’t seem to be hitting them with water, more like the entire stall has filled with a warm, pleasant mist.

He feels like he’s in a dream. While they were apart he no longer had his haunting sex dreams, but he did think about Tony. A lot. He found excuses to get some privacy multiple times a day. 

Steve realizes that with the way the platform is positioning them, it’s easy for him to lean forward a bit and capture Tony’s mouth where it’s waiting for him, Tony’s head lolled back against his shoulder. 

Steve keeps up a gentle rhythm as he explores Tony’s mouth, licking at his lips, biting them. Eventually slipping his tongue in as much as the angle allows. After several long minutes Tony starts to continuously moan into his mouth. Like he is in so much pleasure there’s nothing he can do but groan, spread out against Steve’s front, arms locked on his own handrails. 

They stay like that, in a mesmerizing rhythm until Steve feels like he’s getting close again. Tony must be getting desperate too, Steve can see his hardness as he looks down the length of Tony’s glistening body. Red, straining straight up. 

Steve takes his hands off his handholds and brings them around to Tony’s front. His left hand wraps around his length, while his right cups his balls. He’s glad he’s already come once, it took the edge off. He is confidant he can handle Tony like this without losing control. 

He pulls off of Tony’s mouth slightly to say against his lips, “Want you to come Tony. Want to watch you paint the shower wall.” He strokes him and gently applies the slightest pressure to his sack, then leans back in to kiss him with the same careful rhythm he’s applying with his hands. 

Tony rips his mouth away from Steve’s, rutting his ass back in a fervor. Steve stills and allows Tony to take control of the pace, thrusting his hips forward into Steve’s waiting hands and then his ass back onto his hard cock. 

It only takes a few sequences before Tony is spraying the shower wall in front of them, stiffening and clenching hard, bearing down and spasming around Steve inside him.

Steve takes that moment to thrust hard, hard as he dares deep into Tony, joining his climax. 

* * *

They’re in bed a few hours later when Friday notifies them that Wanda and Vision have returned. 

Tony groans and gets up to put on some pants.

Steve lays there for another minute, trying to work up his own motivation to leave the bed.

“I think we need to tell the team sooner, rather than later, Tony.” 

Tony grabs a new shirt from his dresser. 

Steve stands to join him, wrapping his arms around him from behind. “I don’t want to sleep away from you. Or have to think about if I’m sitting next to you too often at meals. I want to hold your hand when we watch TV. I want everyone to know what you mean to me…” 

Tony leans back against him and sighs, mirroring the pose they made in the shower earlier. “And also," says Tony, pushing his ass back to grind into Steve "sneaking around sucks and is a major cock-block?”

Steve smiles and kisses his temple. “That too.” 

* * *

Tony flies to Malibu the next week and 'does lunch' with Pepper. It’s incredibly awkward.

After they get their drinks she starts.

“Tony are you sure you’re in the right head-space for this? Have you talked to Rhodey or anyone else about this? I know it seems like I’m just some jealous ex here, and yes, okay the idea of you sleeping with human perfection isn’t something I really care to think about, but please, I know you, and I know this is-“

Tony interrupts, “Pep, I’m going to stop you right there.” This time Tony has had some time to gather his thoughts; he's ready. He's not sure if Pepper is ready to _hear_ what he has to say, but he can't control that. 

He picks up one of the fancy forks to have something to do with his hands. “I know, okay? I know how insane this seems from the outside. Hell, it is from the inside too. And yes, I plan to talk to Rhodey. We actually just decided we are telling him and the rest of the team soon.”

Peppers eyes widen at that. “Tony, I’m not saying this to hurt you… but I just can’t see how this isn’t going to completely blow up in your face.”

Tony snorts a laugh, and Pepper looks incredulous. “Haha, oh man Pepper, thanks for that vote of confidence! … Why don’t you tell me what you _really_ think?” he’s still laughing, and he realizes that Pepper is starting to look annoyed. 

He takes off his tinted glasses and sets them down along with the fork. Pepper always hated talking to him when she couldn't see his eyes.

“I’m not laughing because this isn’t serious. It is. And I know you’re just concerned. But… I don’t know how to make you understand Pepper. We fit. He understands the hero gig. He knows me, and all my flaws and wants me anyway, or even because of them? I don't know. We’re a team. A literal team, and a figurative one."

Pepper doesn't look convinced.

"We've gone over everything that went wrong before, and realized almost all of it was just because we’re both stubborn idiots that didn’t communicate well.”

Pepper’s brows shoot up at that and her mouth turns up at the corner, almost against her own will.

Tony plunges on, “But we are communicating now. And it's good Pep, it's really good. I promise you we have thought this through. We’re in this thing, together, whatever it takes.” 

Pepper is looking shellshocked now. Grief tight in her chest. 

She’s never heard Tony sound so sure, except maybe when he’s talking about Iron Man. Her eyes well up and she nods. It hurts like hell, but she takes a moment, nods, and looks down at the menu. 

She clears her throat. “So, they changed their menu and they have a crab-avocado burrito I think you’ll like…” 

Tony reaches out and touches Pepper’s hand briefly across the table. Just a quick acknowledgment. A thank you. 

Pepper returns his look and nods one more time. Okay.

Tony gets the burrito, and Pepper knows what she’s talking about. It’s just what he wanted. 

He has just what he wants. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Scott joins the team at the compound... And accidentally becomes a peeping Tom. Both things are exciting and upsetting in different ways for him.


	3. Scott

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scott is crazy-pumped to be an Avenger. But only two weeks in he might die from embarrassment. Steve is right there with him.

The Accords II are passed and everything moves really quickly after that. Once pardoned, Scott stops by the compound long enough to do a meet and greet with the newly reunited team, and get a tour of the place. Then he flies back to California to see Cassie and talk to her mother about The Plan. He doesn’t actually _have_ a plan, but he knows he needs one. He needs to talk to Hope and Luis too.

So, three plans.

Because he’s been offered a spot on _The Avengers._

Even thinking it feels insane. There's no way he can turn it down, but he also doesn’t get where this leaves him with Cassie, or the security business he's been brainstorming with Luis since they served time together (X-Con Security Consultants). Maggie technically has sole custody, but Scott knows she and Jim want him in Cassie’s life. Steve (he can call Captain America "Steve" now!) assured him they want him on the team, but that they will do whatever it takes for him to see his daughter and keep a life outside of The Avengers.

Talking to Clint while they were on the run gave Scott a lot of perspective. Clint spent a lot of years balancing being a hero and a family man. Clint retiring is the right call for him, but he encouraged Scott to give The Avengers a chance (not that he needed any more encouragement). He thought about it long and hard, and decided Cassie would rather have a hero for a dad than a struggling ex-con. Plus, before Scott went on the run, he was seeing Cassie a few times a month, max. He's hoping he can be an Avenger and still see her often.

He doesn’t want to pass this up, but he also can’t let Cassie down.

A week later Scott is back at the compound. 

He’s nervous to talk to Steve (and also Tony? Steve is the official leader of The Avengers, but Tony is bank-rolling the whole thing, so it kind of feels like a “don’t ask dad without mom's permission too” kind of deal).

Scott settled his Cassie visitation with Maggie amicably. They decided it will gradually increase over time so he can ease into the role and also pursue The Avengers stuff. It’s going to take some time with the lawyers to get it all official, but for now they are good with him taking her at least for overnights a couple times a month. In the future they may change it to Friday-Sundays, and then who knows.

Turns out a lot of The Plan is "let's see how things go."

He walks into the compound to find Tony and Steve having coffee at the communal area bar. Steve looks flushed, like he just got done exercising.

“Ant Person! Welcome back, how’s things?” Tony rattles off as he leans over the bar to shake Scott’s hand.

“Oh you know, just arriving at the Avengers compound, shaking Iron Man’s hand, about to negotiate the terms of my status as a team member… really boring, normal stuff.” Scott knows his grin is a bit manic; he hopes his hand isn’t sweaty.

Steve smiles at him and pulls him in for a hug. And dang, Scott is 99% straight, but he might just be holding out that last one 1% for Captain America.

“Welcome to the team, Scott." says Steve. "How did everything go in California?”

Scott summarizes the visitation situation with Cassie. He also tells Tony about the side-gig for his new security company.

“I’m more of a consultant really! Luis is handling the day to day, but it’s something we’ve talked about for years and I didn’t want to just abandon him you know? Luis is like, my number one home slice.” Oh god, he just said home slice, get it together, Lang. 

Tony asks him some more questions about his security company, and to Scott’s utter shock and terror, he says “I’d love to be your first customer. Take a week or two and send me your analysis of the compound. I’ll have SI be the official client and they’ll send you over some terms and a contract.” Tony has pulled a pad out of somewhere and has been typing while he talks. 

“Oh, umm, yeah I mean we don’t even have like, letterhead… yet! And I think the paperwork is still going through for us to form the LLC?” Scott is dying. He was just offered up the golden goose of clients on a platter and he can’t take the work because he doesn’t have a real company yet!

Tony pauses. “Huh, okay we’ll send you the paperwork to act as an independent consultant. You can still call SI/The Avengers clients once you guys are up and running.” Tony clicks a few more things on the pad and sets it aside, sipping his coffee.

Scotts ears are ringing. Luis is going to _shit_. 

He can’t… how has Tony done this? Just… changed his life as casually as suggesting what to eat for lunch...

Steve must sense his mind is in a free-fall.

“Don’t worry about the details Scott, this is just something Tony does… honestly I wouldn’t be surprised if somehow Cassie’s college tuition is already paid for…”

Okay, so.

1\. Captain America called Cassie by name. He can’t wait to tell her.

2\. Scott hasn’t even really _thought_ about money. Is Avenging a paid gig? How can he ask without sounding like a total dick? All those flights out to San Francisco and back are going to add up…

“Huh,” says Tony, “Like a “Kid of the Avengers Scholarship”? Good idea Steve, I’ll let Clint know…” 

Scott tries to refocus, not sure if Tony is kidding or not. 

“Er, right, so the idea will be that I can fly back to California a couple of times a month, and just like, be on-call out there if you guys need me? I can get back to New York in 10-12 hours probably from whenever you contact me. I have that snazzy nano-comm…”

Tony interrupts again “Yeah, that should work Scott. Honestly, with a young kid like that you’re probably gonna want to be more available to her though, right? School plays and emergencies will pop up. I’ll download the app you need to your new Stark Phone so you can call one of my planes whenever. It can get you to San Fran in like 3 hours, door to door.”

New phone. Private plane. Scott is seriously about to pass out. 

“Uhhh, no I mean, that will probably cost a fortune you don’t need to-“ 

“Yeah no, it’s no big deal, the planes are going back and forth all the time for Pepper anyway. Also, you’re probably going to help save the world in the near future Scott, you don’t need to worry about money. No one on the team does.” He does a little hand flip like he’s telling Scott he can go ahead and order the porterhouse. 

Did he say save the _world?_ Did he say don’t worry about _money_?

Steve hits him gently on the shoulder and gives him another reassuring smile.

“Welcome again, you can pick from any of the empty rooms. The first official team meeting will appear in the calendar on your new phone.”

* * *

Scott settles in and decides to begin his security assessment of the compound the very next day.

He can't believe Stark Industries and The Avengers are their first clients. 

Upon waking up, he finds a contract in his personal email from Stark Industries to hire him as a security consultant. There are so many zeros in the fee he’ll be getting that his teeth chatter. It’s more than he’s made in the last… maybe ever. 

Add to that that his room and board are covered, and apparently Avengers team members do get something called a “Hero Stipend” (there is also an email about that), and Tony is right about not having to worry about money. Scott is motivated to create the best, most detailed security analysis possible. 

Step one is to shrink down to Ant Man size and take a tour of the exterior of the building on one of the local flying ants. He looks for any subtle weaknesses in the physical building itself. Next he takes Auntie (his name for this ant) through the inner-workings of the hanger, the garage, the shared spaces and attempts to get into the actual security system. The security system is locked up tight and Friday notices him (!) trying to find an entry point, which is actually crazy impressive.

Last, he takes a quick tour of the personal spaces. It’s not super in his comfort-zone to spy on everyone, but needs to be thorough.

Plus, he doesn’t think of it as spying, more like a… Security Heist.

Most of the team is out and about anyway. He does find Black Widow reading in her room on her bed. She pauses and looks up at the vent when he lands there to take stock of the room. Her eyes narrow and stay on the vent for a few seconds. She goes back to readying but Scott can tell she’s on guard. 

Jesus, that woman is terrifying. 

Finally he makes his way into Stark’s suite. It’s about four-times bigger than where anyone else on the team is living, but Scott figures he deserves it. He’s not about to judge the guy who’s throwing free planes and security contracts at him. 

He’s looked over everything and is about to leave when Tony enters, followed by Steve. 

He’d better skedaddle, they’re probably having some sort of important Avengers team leadership meeting or something-

Oh.

No, it looks like Steve is just... looking for something at the back of Tony’s throat… with his tongue. Now he's picking him up, and grabbing his - oh wow, make that 5% gay. He’s definitely 5%, maybe 10% gay for Captain America _and_ Tony Stark.

He should leave, this is officially peeping. There goes Tony's shirt. Huh, yeah, yep, this is... 

He rips his eyes away and turns his faithful steed back toward the vent he entered through.

“Come on Auntie, let’s see what crumbs are laying around it the kitchen for you.”

He glances back once, just for luck… to see Steve lowering his mouth down to Tony’s… Gah! 

Maybe 15%, tops. 

* * *

After the team has been at the compound for two weeks, Steve and Tony decide it's time to tell everyone about their relationship. Steve wants to call a meeting.

Tony immediately rolls his eyes. “A meeting, really? You want to sit around the conference room table and tell everyone you just rode my dick practically hard enough to break it off?” 

Steve blushes and gets slightly defensive. “No Tony, I obviously wouldn’t phrase it like that, but this affects the team so I think we should address it as a team… also what do you you mean break it?? You said you were okay, is your-“

Tony waves him off. “I’m _fine_ , I was just trying to illustrate that while our personal relationship may impact the team, I don’t think it’s an _actual_ team matter. It’s well, personal.” 

Steve sighs, he sees his point. “So what are you suggesting?”

Tony stands up and begins to pace. Steve has noticed he tends to do that when he's thinking.

“I think we just need to talk to people, and bring it up one on one or in small groups. Organically. When people are relaxed. That way we can field any questions that they have as friends and house-mates. Once everyone knows, you can add it to the agenda of the next Avengers meeting under “Interpersonal Relationships” to give people a forum to bring up how it might affect the team. Honestly, we will probably want to use that opportunity to check in with Wanda and Vision too. They obviously are all over each other, and we need to get them on the same page about how that might impact their actions in the field."

Tony pauses to rub at his facial hair. "We don’t have an HR, so I think it’s down to you and me, winging it. Hmm, we may need an HR, and maybe a PR team. I'll float that by my people, like with Scott's security consultation we may be able to piggy-back off of SI's infrastructure.”

Steve is struck once again by how great he thinks Tony would be as a co-leader of the team. For whatever reason he’s rejected the idea so far. Maybe as the financial backer of the team he feels like it would put him into a position of too much control? Steve resolves to continue to check with Tony on all major developments. Even if he doesn’t want the official title of team leader, Steve wants him there every step of the way.

“Okay I can agree to that, good call about Wanda and Viz.” says Steve. “So… who should we talk to first? It will probably spread pretty quickly once we start…”

“I think Scott.” says Tony. Steve is surprised. Scott is the newest member of the team and knows Steve and Tony the least.

“I figure he’ll be the easiest. He practically worships you, and if we tell him to keep a lid on it for a couple of days while we catch the rest of the team up, he will.” 

Steve nods and touches his hear. “Scott, when you have a moment could you meet Tony and I in the common area?”

Tony blanches, “What, _right now_?” 

Steve smirks and pulls Tony toward the common area to wait for Scott. 

“Hey," says Tony, _"I thought_ those comm devices were for official Avengers business only…”

* * *

Damn it. Scott knew it was all too good to be true.

He’s about to get fired, he knows it. And just as he was finishing his report on the compound’s security. It is by far the most detailed thing he’s ever written. There are over a dozen security upgrades he’s recommending. There’s even graphs and pie charts!

When he gets there Steve and Tony are waiting for him on one of the sofas. Man, they’re sitting pretty close. His mind flashes back to what he saw in Tony’s suite.

He gulps. Do they know he saw them?

Before he goes back to San Francisco maybe he will give them the heads up that if they are trying to keep their relationship off the radar, sitting basically on top of each other isn’t the best tactic.

He sits on the adjacent sofa and sets his pad on the coffee table. He brought it in case this is just an early check-in meeting about his X-Con analysis... but he gets the feeling it’s something else. 

“Thanks for coming, Scott.”

Ah, it never gets old having Steve call him that. 

“It never gets old having you call me that!” he blurts. Damn it Lang, control your inner fanboy. 

Steve’s eyes crinkle at the corners. “We’re really looking forward to hearing your security assessment at the end of the week, but we actually just wanted to talk to you on a personal level for a minute.”

Scotts heartbeat increases. What?

Tony steps in. “Yep, this is purely a social call. You see, Steve and I have entered into a romantic relationship, and since we’re all living together, we figured it made sense to tell everyone.”

Scott blinks. “Oh.”

Tony and Steve sit back waiting for something else.

“Um… congratulations?” Wait, what if they really do know he was in the suite and that he saw them? Friday is super advanced… Is this a trap? A test of his moral metal? He grits his teeth and prays what he’s about to do isn’t the stupidest move he’s ever made (which would really be saying something).

“Actually… I may… already have known. About the two of you.” Scott scrunches up his face like it physically pains him to say it.

It’s Tony and Steve’s turn to look surprised. “You… know?” says Steve.

 _Oh please forgive me Captain America_.

“Okay, so don’t be mad! Part of X-Con Security Consultants’ services is to basically break in, that is, test the client’s space as if we were really breaking in. I call it, a _Security Heist."_

So far they look unimpressed _._

"So anyway, I was doing my initial sweep on Auntie, what I mean is, I was riding Auntie… er, that sounds weird and dirty, the ant, which is an insect, is named Auntie. I actually don’t have an _aunt_ …” 

Scott is realizing that Aunt and Ant sound the same, and it’s not getting any clearer what he’s trying to say.

Tony raises an impatient eyebrow at him. Right, moving on.

“So I was shrunk down as Ant Man, doing my sweep, looking for weak points in your security, and for the last part I checked all the personal rooms, because people often let their guard down in their personal spaces and they can be some of the least secure in the home, or er, the compound. And anyway, I was about to leave, when you and Steve came into the suite and I maaaay have seen you kiss. And nothing else!" He throws his hands up in defense.

"I just saw you kiss, thought ‘wow look at that, that’s hot,’ and left.” Scott makes a straight-line movement with his hands. “Totally professional.”

Silence meets his confession for several seconds.

Scott doesn’t even know what he’s just said. He can’t believe he’s about to get fired for peeping on Captain America and Iron Man.

He draws up his courage to look them in the face. Tony looks a little amused. Steve looks like he wants to crawl into a hole, his head in his hands.

Oh god, Scott has desecrated Captain America with his tiny, pint-sized voyeurism. 

“Well, good to know. We are certainly looking forward to that security report, Scott.” says Tony with a smile and a wink. 

Scott can’t speak. What kind of person is Tony Stark that _that_ is his reaction to all this. He just winked! “Um, yeah, I think you’ll be pleased. I’ve been… thorough.” 

Steve shakes his head, which is still down in his hands.

Scott jumps up to leave, he knows an opportunity to escape reprimand when he sees one.

Just as he’s almost out of the room, Tony says, “Oh Scott?” 

So close. Scott pauses in place but doesn’t turn around.

“The next time you want to shrink down and do a _Security Heist_ in anyone's personal space, just let Friday know. She’ll get it on our calendars and we can give you the compound for an hour or two.” 

Scott doesn’t turn around, just raises a thumbs-up over his shoulder “Will do, sounds good. For sure. I’ll for sure do that. Thanks.” 

* * *

Steve buries his head into Tony’s shoulder as soon as Scott is out of the room. “Oh my god, Tony. Is everyone going to find out about us by seeing us in some phase of having sex?” 

Tony wraps his arm around Steve, looking thoughtful. “You know, I’m beginning to wonder…” 

He pauses before squeezing Steve to him and whispering in his ear, “Did you catch that Scott thought we were hot together?”

Steve groans. 

* * *

Scott gets back to his room and flops onto his bed face-first. Jesus.

After laying there for a while, contemplating if it’s possible to die from embarrassment, a thought occurs to him.

Namely, that letting Friday _know_ about a security test would defeat the purpose… he opens his report in his pad and suggests a solution - a quarterly team building event where everyone leaves the compound for the afternoon. That way he has an opportunity to conduct a security review with everyone out, and Friday will be none-the-wiser. Plus he can probably attend most of them, a yearly check should be enough for a place as secure as the compound. 

Scott would love to see the whole team together out at Coney Island, enjoying a day at the beach. 

Huh, Tony and Steve in bathing suits, putting sun block on each other’s shoulders… and other parts.

Scott sighs. 

16%. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please let me know if there is anything off here, it's been quite a while since I've seen either Ant Man! I did some googling 🤔
> 
> Next up, Tony gives his bff some news. Steve struggles a bit *wibble*


	4. Rhodey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony calls Rhodey, Steve keeps his clothes on this time.

After they tell Scott, Tony and Steve are still on the sofa in the living area. Tony sits up and smacks his hand up to his forehead. “Oh god, I need to call Rhodey!” 

Steve, still too embarrassed to try to understand Tony’s manic thought process, just snuggles deeper and asks “Why?”

“Because! He’s my best friend and I just told _Ant Man_ my huge relationship news before him! What was I thinking? Quick, come back to the suite, we have to call him right now.” 

Steve follows, but if he’s honest he isn’t totally feeling this whole process. So far sharing their news has been mentally and emotionally exhausting.

Steve reflects that may be because both Pepper and Scott found out by accident, watching their intimate moments and not through any sort of planned discussion... 

He steels himself and prepares to call Tony’s best friend. Of course there’s a more obvious reason for him to be dreading this conversation. He hasn’t spent much time with Rhodey, and Steve hasn’t forgotten that his conflict with Tony inadvertently paralyzed him. God, should he bring that up? 

Suddenly Steve wants to do something he almost never does. He wants to back down.

It's a testament to how much he trusts Tony that he can acknowledge that to himself, let alone tell Tony about it. He knows he has to say something.

He turns to Tony, “Tony, since Rhodes is your friend first, I think you should take the lead. I mean… maybe I don’t even need to be on camera?” 

Steve knows he’s chickening out, but he’s just so overwhelmed. He never imagined growing up that he’d spend a day walking around telling his closest friends and co-workers that he’s in a relationship with another man. 

He feels stupid for being so wrung out over the idea. He isn’t ashamed _at all_ , it’s just… he’s realizing that telling people about their relationship is also basically him coming out over and over? Which he hadn’t done before now because... Well, he's actually not sure why he hasn’t. And now it’s all happening so quickly.

He’s probably not going to convince Tony to hold off on telling Rhodey. And what would be the point now that Scott knows anyway? Can’t put the genie back in the bottle as they say… and Tony is about as crazy as that blue genie from the Arabian cartoon movie. And he sort of has the facial hair for it already...

Steve smiles a little at the idea of Tony as a genie, his fingers itch to pick up a pencil.

He’s so lost in his own thoughts that by the time he looks up, Tony has the vid-screen up and is calling Rhodes. God, he didn’t even hear what Tony said to him about being on camera or not. Where should he stand?

Tony gives him a quick kiss and moves so Steve is out of the frame of the call. “Pop in if you want Sugar-britches, I’ve got this.”

Tony usually only calls him pet names when Steve is anxious. It’s reassuring to know that Tony can read him so well, but he doesn't want to let Tony down.

Steve relaxes and takes a seat on the sofa a little bit away from where Tony is taking the call. He’ll listen in and join the call when he feels comfortable. That’s the best he can do.

* * *

“Tones! Hey, give me a sec to get somewhere secure.”

Tony says "Sure thing," blows a kiss to his friend and waits, bouncing on his heels slightly. He’s not nervous, more excited. Maybe a little nervous that Rhodey will say something to scare Steve off since he won’t know he’s just out of frame. Rhodey knows more about his past relationships with men than anyone, and he’s seen some things that aren’t exactly pretty. But Tony’s been transparent these last few months about Steve stepping up and making things right. Rhodey never held Steve responsible for things going to shit really, it’ll be alright.

Tony is ready. He plans to lead with how insanely happy he is, how there’s no doubt in his mind. Rhoedy just wants him to be happy. It’s going to be fine. 

“Okay, sorry about that. Man, I love the Air Force, but I’m starting to look forward to knocking out the last of this tour and enjoying retirement.” 

Rather than be medically retired after the paralysis, Rhodey pushed to finish his active duty contract and complete his 20 years. The equipment Tony designed for him means he can do anything an able-bodied person can (actually his legs are about 20x stronger). Tony is proud of him, but he will be glad when he’s home for good, and an official member of The Avengers.

“Four months to go, right?” he asks, like he doesn’t have a little count-down clock in his head. He is going to have to talk to Pepper about planning the surprise party soon. It’s sad to say but Tony has absolutely no idea how any of the events he’s involved in (or supposedly is in charge of) get done. Pepper and her teams do it all. He should get her something… something showing appreciation but not romantic. Maybe a new vacation home. 

“Yeah, and apparently jokes about disabilities get funnier by the minute out here.” Rhodey rolls his eyes, but Tony suddenly wants to crack some skulls. “What are those assholes saying?”

Rhodey waves him off, “Just a bunch of jokes about how my dick must not work, you know the military. There are some good guys out here, it’s just that mentality they get when they’re all together. I miss you and your sensitive soul Tony.” Rhodey batts his eyes at Tony. 

Tony is about to go off down memory lane to some of his less-than-sensitive moments around Rhodey (Stripper plane? Most of his 20s?) but sobers remembering why he called.

“I actually called because I have big news... Great news! Surprising news, hold on to your butts!”

He sees Steve sit up a little straighter out of the corner of his eye. Something is going on with him, Tony makes a note to talk to him about it after they hang up. 

“So what’s the news?” 

“I’m dating Captain America!” Tony practically shouts. “Well, okay technically Steve Rogers, but that’s just as good. Better. And before you say anything, I just want to tell you that I’m happy, like exponentially happy. And so is Steve, I think. And Pepper knows, and that was a whole thing, but I think it’s fine. And yeah. We’re in a relationship and we’re telling people and I wanted you to be one of the first to know.” 

Tony has said all of this in a single breath. Steve sits perfectly still waiting for Rhodey to react. 

“Tony, that’s about the least surprising thing you’ve ever said to me,” Rhodey chuckles. “But I’m happy for you. Both of you.”

Tony balks. “What do you mean least surprising?! I was with Pepper five months ago! Five months ago Steve and I almost killed each other! Don’t do that thing you do where you act like you knew when you didn’t.” Tony is pointing at the screen, playfully accusatory.

“Tony. You have had a crush on Captain America practically your whole life. You had Captain America bed sheets in college! You've been mooning over him for _years_ , and yes, even when you were with Pepper it was there lurking under the surface. So yes, I am not surprised. The way you and Steve fought… everything was always too personal. Too heated to just be animosity. Plus he’s pretty much all you’ve talked about for the last month. Like I know you care about the Accords, but every call has been ‘Steve said this…’ ‘Steve thinks that…’” He nods sagely. 

Tony deflates like a balloon. “Huh, well, Pepper was shocked!” like that’s somehow proof that his huge crush on Steve wasn’t as obvious as Rhodey is making it sound. 

Rhodey shrugs in response. “I think Pepper spent a lot of time trying to convince you to be something different than you are. And convincing herself that you were different than you are. It wasn’t always a bad thing, she wants you to be a responsible, careful, realistic person, like her. But what you _actually are_ , and what you _actually need,_ is to be with someone who is batshit crazy, like you. And that’s Steve.”

Steve busts out laughing, doubling over on the sofa. 

“Is that him?” asks Rhodey.

Steve motions for Tony to come sit by him. The view-screen follows him, settling in front of them so they are both on-screen with Rhodes. 

“So I’m crazy?” asks Steve, smiling and feeling lighter than he has all day.

“Uh, let’s see,” Rhodes starts ticking things off on his fingers. “Snuck into the army after being rejected over and over, signed up for an untested serum, crashed a plane into the ocean, leader of the Howling Commandos, took no shit from Nick Fury, best friends with the Winter Soldier, took down SHIELD almost single-handedly, dating Tony Stark.” He pops the rest of his fingers up in a mock explosion as he says “And that’s just the shit I know about.” 

He’s not wrong. 

“So yeah, I’d say you’re pretty crazy man. But like I said, I think it will work for you guys.”

Steve feels… he doesn’t know what this is. This warm, unwavering acceptance radiating off of Tony’s best friend. He starts to get a bit choked up.

Steve clears his throat, “I’m, I’m so glad you feel that way. I hope you know how sorry I am that everything went the way it did in Germany. That I take full responsibility for not handling the Accords or the situation with Bucky the way I should have.”

“I know that, Steve. Tony’s kept me updated on all the work you guys did with the Accords II. Speaking of, naming the super PAC after Steve… another not-so-subtle clue there, Tones…” 

“It’s not my fault “CAP PAC” was the most marketable name! That was picked by a focus group, not me!” Tony’s mouth does the little twitch it does when he’s lying. Steve has to kiss it. He does it without thinking, just a quick peck at the corner. When Steve remembers he’s on camera he quickly pulls away, blushing slightly as he looks up to see if Rhodey has any reaction.

He’s been in the “future” for over five years now, but it’s still engrained in him to think kissing a man will get him a negative reaction. Especially from a military man. 

But Rhodes is just smiling, looking at Tony who is beaming back, puffing his chest out a bit as if to silently brag to his friend “Captain America kissed me!”

Some unclear yelling is heard off-camera on Rhodey’s end. He yells back “Yeah yeah, stick it up your ass!”

He turns back to Steve and Tony. “I gotta head back. See you guys in a few months, don’t get married before I come home.” 

Tony chuckles nervously and says “No promises!” before ending the call. 

* * *

As soon as the screen is gone, Steve jumps Tony and they make out like teenagers for a while. Steve isn’t sure what to make of the joke about getting married, they’re only just telling people after all. But he can’t help smiling into Tony’s mouth at the idea. 

All his worry about telling people is slipping away. It felt so great to kiss Tony in front of Rhodey, or just, have him know they’re together. Steve is bursting with joy, with relief. He wants to chase that feeling. 

“So,” says Steve, who are we telling next?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was re-watching Infinity War, and Rhodey is really welcoming to Steve and the rest when they show up at the compound. He has this sort of "long time no see" vibe, so I figure it's realistic enough that he'd be cool with Steve, especially if Tony has been waxing poetic about him for weeks haha.
> 
> Next up - Nat, Sam, Wanda and Vision.


	5. Nat, Sam, Wanda and Vision

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The team (minus Scott) sits down to a meal.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Where is Scott? Idk, probably off somewhere putting the finishing touches on his security assessment. Or on a video call with Cassie. The point is he wasn't needed for this scene haha...

“So,” says Steve, who are we telling next?”

Tony smiles; it seems like whatever was bothering Steve has passed. He still makes a note to bring it up with him later though. Wow, look at that. He’s a new and improved Tony. Talking about feelings, open, empathetic, doing the work. 

He thought it would _feel_ like work. 

That making sure Steve was getting what he needs, keeping the lines of communication open, would be exhausting. It turns out he truly just wants to do the work it comes to Steve. He wants to know what’s bothering him, and he wants to help him with it. And if he can’t help, he wants to be there to just listen. 

He likes to think he felt that way with Pepper too. But his feelings for Steve are shining some clarity on his previous relationship. Of course he cared for her, loved her. But now that he’s on the other side of it he’s realizing how much he held back when they were together. How much he dreaded talking to her about what was wrong, because it always felt like it must be him. 

There was always this quiet dread that he’d say the wrong thing. _Be_ the wrong thing.

Steve’s stomach growls.

“Sounds like whoever we tell next is in the kitchen” says Tony. 

He gets up and holds out his hand to Steve. It’s a reflex, but he takes a second to reflect on how ridiculous it is that Steve would need to take his hand for help getting up off the sofa. He’s seen this man do a backflip off of a plane, onto another plane, while getting shot at and ricocheting his shield to take down a third plane. 

Steve doesn’t need to take his hand, but he does. Just slides it big and warm into Tony’s own like it’s the most natural thing in the world. 

Tony wants to keep ahold of his hand on their way to the kitchen. God he is gone for Steve. Who holds hands walking around in their own house? He smiles a little with the knowledge that soon they can if they want. He feels like he’s a kid again with his first crush. 

When they enter the kitchen Vision and Wanda are hovering over the stove and Nat and Sam are at the table in the open-concept dining area (looking very much like vultures, waiting for Viz and Wanda to finish with the kill). 

Tony sniffs the air. “I was thinking of getting pizza, but it smells like there might be something better cooking with our home chefs?” 

Wanda turns and smiles at them. “We’ve been working on paprikash since last night, it’s almost done and there’s plenty.” Things between Wanda and Tony have been good, if not overly-friendly. He’s not sure he’ll ever get over the image she put in his head when they were at odds during Ultron. Steve dead, broken shield on his chest. The end of the world.

But maybe that image is part of what propelled him to accept Steve that night in the tower. His greatest fear manifested, a haunting image of a world where he and Steve never reconciled.

Tony's not an “everything happens for a reason” type person, but he can’t deny that where he’s ended up is pretty fucking great. And Wanda is trying. And she cares about Vision, who is like a son-friend-creation to Tony. So he guesses they’re something like family. 

Steve exchanges a glance with Tony that very clearly says “Let’s do this.” Is there anything Steve doesn’t just throw himself into? It makes Tony feel a little invincible.

“We would love some paprikash!” says Tony. “Why don’t we get everyone’s drinks while we’re up? Sam? Nat? What’s your poison?” 

Steve and Tony deliver drinks and glasses while Vision and Wanda serve up the food. Once they are all at the table Tony gets a funny little flutter in his chest. Sitting down as a group and eating together wasn’t something that happened every day at the tower, but they did it enough to make this feel familiar, like coming home.

On impulse Tony raises his glass. “To coming home.” 

Steve smiles at him softly, and shit, if he keeps making eyes at him like that, they won’t even have to tell the team anything. Tony glances at everyone else and the feeling in his chest expands. Sam looks content, Nat looks approving, almost proud. Wanda looks touched and she’s the first to raise her glass in return. Vision looks, well, blank. But he always has the same sort of non-expression. Tony should spend more time with him, learn his reactions better. 

It’s just hard, he reminds him that Jarvis is gone. 

“To coming home” the rest say in unison, and dig in. The paprikash is about half gone when Steve clears his throat. They’re doing this.

“While we have you all here, there’s actually something Tony and I wanted to tell you.”

Everyone pauses bringing their forks back to their plates instead of to their mouths (except Vision, who ate a couple of bites at the start, but doesn’t seem to need to eat a whole meal).

“About six weeks ago when I went to visit Tony, we resolved a lot of the conflicts we had that were keeping the team apart. And we also worked out many of the issues between the two of us. Our personal issues. That is, what I mean is that Tony and I ended up changing the nature of our relationship at that time, and we wanted to tell everyone about it… that our relationship has changed. Improved really…”

Steve is starting to blush. God, Tony thinks, why is it so hot when he’s inarticulate? Steve is always clear and eloquent when he’s in Captain America mode. Delivering the rallying speech that gets the team in gear. And that’s it, Tony realizes. This fumbling, awkward person is Steve, not Captain America. And the most incoherent Tony ever sees Steve is during sex, so any hint of hesitation automatically brings Tony’s mind to blushing Steve… about-to-get-fucked-Steve. 

God what was Steve saying? Tony tunes back in to realize Steve is still rambling about changing roles, and progress in communication. He is about to save him from himself, when Sam pipes up.

“Steve, relax man, we all know you and Tony are together.” He shakes his head, like he can’t believe Steve is this slow on the up-take. 

Steve goes even redder. “What?”

Nat rolls her eyes. “Come on Steve, we know you. We were sequestered in series of tiny shacks and hovels with you for months. After you came back from seeing Tony it was like you were a different person. Not to mention in the months before you left when you could barely eat or sleep. Something was tearing you apart from the inside, and when you got back you were whole again.” She shrugs and spoons another bit of paprikash into her mouth. 

Sam chimes in, “Not even after you were back. I knew after you were gone 24 hours. You didn’t check in Steve! You _always_ check in. I’m pretty sure you would check in from the grave. But you suddenly disappear to see Tony and then go unresponsive for 48 hours? Of course, you were knocking boots.”

Nat nods. 

Steve turns to Wanda and Vision, “Did you know too?” 

Wanda speaks first, “Natasha and I talk. I wondered why you were so different upon your return. Later I asked Viz about it too and he confirmed that Tony has always had, what do you call it, “The hots” for Steve?” She smiles and takes a drink of her sparkling water. 

“Hey,” Tony turns to Vision, “What do _you_ know about who I have _the hots_ for? What exactly do you have floating around in that head of yours? I mean I _know,_ because I built it, but…” 

Vision cocks his head. “If you’re asking how much of the AI Jarvis is present in my consciousness, it is difficult to explain. Often I will think of something, I believe it is similar to the human mind recalling a memory. A conversation we had, or an event that was pivotal to the AI Jarvis’ sense of self. I do not consciously think of all the experiences they had throughout the course of their existence, but they are there in the background, shaping who I am.”

He considers Tony before adding, “Jarvis cared for you very deeply; as deeply as was possible given his constraints.” 

Tony looks away from the table for a moment to gather himself. Steve puts his hand on his shoulder and gently rubs soothing circles. A brilliant warmth spreads through him at the knowledge that he doesn’t need to worry if anyone thinks the gesture is too familiar. 

Wanda gets up to begin clearing their plates, pausing to quickly kiss Tony on the cheek as she walks by. This seems to jar Tony out of his thoughts and he turns to Steve.

“Huh, guess it turns out we didn’t really need to be sneaking around these last couple of weeks after all.”

Steve grimaces, “I can’t believe everyone knew… and you all just... let us pretend!”

“Come on, Cap, don’t be that way.” says Sam. “What were we gonna do, out you? Make you tell us before you were ready?” Sam slaps him on the back as he goes to drop his dishes in the sink.

“Yeah, cheer up Steve,” says Tony, “Now that they officially know, I can say things like ‘lets go back to the suite and have sex!’” 

“Yeah no, that’s still totally inappropriate” says Sam. Nat nods in agreement, hands busy in the sink washing up. Wanda blushes and Vision looks exactly the same as he always does.

“Welp, I already said it!" says Tony. "Come on Steve, let’s go… ' _do a puzzle'_ in my suite.” Tony wiggles his eyebrows and grabs Steve's hand. He starts to pull him away down the hall.

“How did you make _that_ sound even _dirtier_?” Sam yells after them.

Nat turns over her shoulder at the sink to jokingly call after them “Be sure to start with the corners!”

Steve follows Tony and shakes his head, and trying to stop his skin from heating. He mutters, “I don’t know what that means.”

Vision interjects “In puzzle strategy, starting with the corners is optimal due to-“ 

Wanda shushes him and their happy chatter fades away as Tony and Steve head back to the suite, hand in hand. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Steve and Tony work on a puzzle. 
> 
> Puzzle is a euphemism. 
> 
> The puzzle is sex.


	6. Interlude

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony finally have some real privacy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Claw71 requested more bottom Steve, so here we are. It turned into possibly the toppiest bottom ever, but oh well haha.

Tony and Steve head back to the suite, hand in hand. 

They kiss and stumble together through the living room, on to the bedroom. Groping and laughing along the way, giddy with the knowledge they no longer have to hide. Steve realizes with a start that he can sleep here tonight in the suite, with Tony, if that’s what Tony wants. 

Soon he has Tony laid out on the bed, his exposed skin a stark contrast to the deep red comforter. Steve hasn't painted much in the last year, but Tony's lightly tanned skin against the crimson material suddenly makes him miss it. A deep ache he hasn't noticed, burried under the more pressing drama of the Accords and all the rest. He resolves to go buy some new supplies and set up a small studio area in his room.

The bedding is smooth and silky, and looks very expensive. Steve knows better than to ask how much it costs, if he doesn’t want nightmares about how many people could be fed for what Tony spends on something like bed sheets.

He remembers something Rhodey said on their call earlier. “Tony, did you really have Captain America sheets in college?”

Tony squirms and makes impatient grabby hands for Steve to join him in the bed, which Steve does once he’s devested himself of the rest of his clothes. He drapes himself fully over Tony, but pulls back when he tries to kiss him, waiting for an answer. 

“Uhg, I’m going to kill Rhodey. Yes, okay! But let’s be clear, I was _fifteen_ in college, and those sheets were a gift from Jarvis when I was a kid. They meant a lot to me, and it wasn’t just because they had your shield on them. I basically used them until they disintegrated. Pretty gross actually…”

“Jarvis?” Steve asks doubtfully. He’s pretty sure the AI wasn’t around then.

Tony nuzzles Steve’s neck as he smooths his hands in little circles on Steve's sides and hips. “Hmm? Oh, yeah, the original Jarvis… He was our family driver/butler/you name it. He pretty much raised me.” 

Steve’s heart aches, Tony’s attachment to, and subsequent loss of, his AI makes that much more sense. He asks even though he feels like he knows the answer.

“What happened to him?”

Tony shrugs, as much as you can shrug with a naked, two-hundred-pound man on top of you. “He died about five years after my parents, natural causes. Peggy knew him actually; I learned a lot after he died by going through his things. They went on all kinds of adventures.” 

Steve leans down to kiss Tony now, trying to communicate what he’s feeling. He wants to protect Tony from ever losing anyone ever again, even though that’s impossible. He wants to tell him that he understands, that’s he’s not alone. 

He pulls back, smiling, “I’m glad they knew each other.” And he is. He realizes he hasn’t thought about Peggy in some time. And that the old hollow pain he used to feel when he did is gone.

Steve moves to take Tony’s hands from where they are resting on his hips and tugs them so they’re up on the pillow. He entwines their fingers and re-settles his weight over Tony’s body, pressing his hands down over Tony’s pinning them to the pillow above his head. Steve kisses Tony slow and deep, holding his arms firmly but carefully in place.

“Will you keep them there for me?” Steve asks, referring to Tony’s hands up on the pillow.

Tony’s pupils dilate. “Yes.”

Steve lets go of the hands and eases off Tony a bit so he can settle his weight. At the same time Tony slides up the bed slightly until his hands brush the smooth, teak headboard. He closes each hand into loose fist and presses them up against the wood. It gets at the spirit of what Steve wants (Tony's hands held in place above his head), but allows Tony to ground himself. To have something to press against when things get too intense. 

Steve scoots up with him, straddling his thighs, taking in the picture of Tony spread out, arms up. 

“That’s perfect Tony, that’s just what I want.”

Tony’s breathing hitches at that. Steve slowly moves his hands over Tony’s body. It feels like such a luxury to have time. They’ve only been at the compound together for two weeks, but it feels like longer, having to constantly keep track of who is home, always ready to break apart at a moment’s notice so they wouldn’t get caught. 

Steve isn’t sure how much longer they could have kept at it without more of the team stumbling upon them. Staying apart was too hard, and they’d started to get careless. 

They’d even recklessly started something in the kitchen the other day just before Scott arrived back at the compound. The only thing that prevented him from walking in to see Tony’s hand down Steve’s pants was the proximity alarm Tony set up with Friday. She warned them with enough time to put themselves together and hastily start a pot of coffee.

Now that the team knows they are “working on a puzzle” it’s like they’ve been transported back to those two amazing days in the tower. Just them, nothing to interrupt or get in the way. 

As Steve continues to pet Tony, his brain catches up to the events of the day. He recalls something else. Something Tony told Rhodey earlier.

_I’m happy, like exponentially happy. And so is Steve, I think._

At the time he didn’t pay much mind to the “I think” Tony tagged on there. But now it catches at his mind. Surely Tony knows how happy he is? He looks down at him, and in this moment desperately needs to let him know. 

He confidently palms Tony’s erection, sliding up and down as he leans forward to kiss Tony’s neck, ears, hairline. Tony arches up into his touch but doesn’t move his hands.

“Thank you for today.” Steve breaths as he moves around the column of Tony’s throat. Tony doesn’t respond, so Steve pauses his hand, just resting it loosely around the head of Tony’s cock until Tony looks at him. 

“What’s that, gorgeous?” Tony practically slurs, a warm smile hung on his mouth. 

Steve kisses his lips, almost chastely. “I said, thank you for today. And all the days since the tower. I hope you know how amazing you’ve been. How happy you make me.” He moves to straddle Tony’s hips fully, sitting lightly on his upper thighs, careful not to put his full weight down.

Tony doesn’t seem to know what to do with the praise, so he redirects. “Fuck Steve, you’re so gorgeous. Above me like that.” Tony presses his hands against the headboard hard enough that Steve’s enhanced hearing can make out the wood giving a little. 

God, his arms look good, he wants to bite the swell of Tony’s biceps. Steve shakes himself, he was trying to tell Tony how happy he is. 

“I want to show you, Tony. Show you how happy you make me. Can I do that?”

Tony gulps, nodding before a breathy “Yes” escapes. He closes his eyes, and Steve can feel him getting harder under his hand.

He’s on the right track, he thinks. He begins stroking him again, not hurried, just pressure up and down the length to remind him he’s there. 

“I want to make you feel so good. I want to ride you, Tony.”

Tony’s hips jerk involuntarily. If Steve wasn’t who he is, it might have been strong enough to buck him off. As it is, it just reminds him that while Tony isn’t a super soldier, he’s strong. He’s got great muscle tone from years of both piloting and shaping the armor. Steve gives Tony one more firm pump before leaning over to the side table to grab some lube.

He maneuvers back to Tony but straddles him the opposite way facing away from him, so that his ass is on display, hovering over Tony’s stomach. 

“Scoot up a little, rest your head on the pillow. I want you to watch me get ready for you.”

Tony can’t move fast enough, wiggling up to rest his head on the pillow, still keeping his knuckles on the headboard, arms now bent at ninety degree angles.

Steve takes the lube and uses it to open himself in now well-practiced movements. Two months ago he’d never had more than a single fingertip inside himself, but after the tower he invested in some decent lube and became intimately familiar with this part of his anatomy.

He starts with one finger, and quickly moves on to two, stretching and scissoring them until he’s aching for more. He doesn’t linger, this isn’t the main event, he just wants Tony to see what he’s learned. 

“Steve, please, move up, let me get my mouth on you Sit on my face.” Tony says, just at the edge of begging.

Steve’s tempted, but he’s ready to move on. He moves off of Tony entirely, emptying the remainder of the small tube into his palm and throwing it to the side. Steve straddles him again, facing him once more. He bends to kiss him languidly for a moment until Tony nips at his lip, a silent protest for not getting his way.

“I love when you rim me, but that’s not what this is about.” Steve says. 

Tony presses his head back against the pillow. “Steve, what-?”

Steve moves down to slowly bite one of Tony’s nipples, his ass ghosts against Tony’s leaking cock. 

Steve breaths hot against Tony’s chest, pausing to look up at him. “I’m going to take care of you, Tony.”

Tony’s hips jerk again, forcing his cock up against Steve’s ass, but the angle is wrong, so it just glances off. 

“Shh, it’s okay Tony. You’ve done so much. For everyone. For me. Will you let me? Let me take care of you?” 

Tony closes his eyes and nods. Fuck. 

Steve takes Tony in his lubed palm and strokes a few times, spreading the rest of it around. Not having a towel and not wanting to ruin the comforter, he wipes the remainder off on his own stomach. Maybe it’s a hold-over from having to hide his late-night emissions while on the run, but Steve hates the idea of making a mess on Tony’s fancy bedding. 

He looks at Tony, who is waiting as patiently as he can with his fists still glued to the wood of the headboard. 

As much as he loves the way that looks, Steve thinks it’s probably been long enough.

Steve takes the opportunity to pull one of Tony’s fists to him. He looks at the knuckles, they’re red but not bad. He opens the hand, stiff from being clenched for so long. He rubs it and works firm pressure into the palms, then down each finger. He lays the hand down on the bed at Tony’s side and presses it into the mattress a little. A silent signal to keep it there. He picks up the other hand from where it rests against the headboard.

After giving the same treatment to his other hand, he presses it to the mattress on Tony’s other side.

Steve moves back over to position himself where he thinks he needs to be over Tony’s hard cock. They’ve done this once before, Steve bottoming from above. It was a hurried frenzy out in the living area on the sofa. Tony prepped him and guided him down over himself then; the logistics seem a little different with Tony flat on the bed and Steve fully in control. 

Steve reaches behind himself to guide Tony in. Fuck, he’s already tight. He flushes realizing the serum probably means he can’t really wait too long after prepping himself. Lesson learned for next time, he’s loose enough, and there’s plenty of lube. He lowers himself quickly over the head and down a few inches, knowing with every second he waits he’s just tightening back up.

“Oh fuck, Steve!” Tony exclaims. 

Steve’s head spins a little. There’s a little twinge, but it’s not bad. More like the feeling when you stretch out a sore muscle. It’s good.

“Jesus did you open yourself enough, you’re tight, shit…” Tony’s head thrashes as his hands slide around on the mattress, desperate to grab on to something. 

Steve trails his hands over Tony’s chest and stomach, slowly sliding further and further, conscious that him being so tight might also be too much for Tony. It seems fine though, as Tony is now just wantonly thrusting his hips in little abortive movements and grabbing brutally at the comforter beneath his hands.

Steve bottoms out and seems to lose track of his mouth as he blurts “So good, you feel so good in me Tony. Everything. Everything you do is good. Perfect, you’re so perfect to me. For me. In me.” 

Tony whines, pulling at the sheets. “Please Steve, let me touch you. Please, please.” 

Steve takes Tony’s hands off the bed and slowly kisses every inch of them, holding them captive. He starts rocking his pelvis experimentally back and forth. He isn’t getting much leverage on Tony’s cock, more just moving with him, clenching down on him as he rocks them into the mattress. 

Tony squeezes his hands so hard that Steve is sure it would hurt if he didn’t have the serum. As it is, it’s a nice firm feeling, grounding him. 

He leans forward, taking Tony’s hands back up to the pillow above his head and entwines their fingers, holding them above Tony’s head while he braces the majority of his weight on his elbows. Something about the position feels familiar, and he realizes it’s similar to leaning forward full tilt on his Harley. Just a different kind of ride. He grins, suddenly confident. 

He slides forward, allowing the majority of Tony’s length to slide out of him before sliding back in a single controlled movement. Tony can’t do much with his hands pinned above him and Steve’s weight on top of him. He just has to lay back. Let Steve take care of him, like he said. 

“Steve, Steve” is all he can manage as he’s taken almost all the way out of Steve’s body and then right back in, again and again. 

Steve’s own cock is trapped between them, getting little random brushes of friction. He attaches his mouth to Tony’s and continues to slide, slick and fast over his length. 

It’s not like when he’s fucking Tony. Without the pressure on his own cock, he’s able to slide into a wonderful haze of pleasure that’s incredible, but doesn’t make him feel like he has to come. 

Because Steve has been kissing Tony relentlessly, and Tony’s hands are still pinned he has no way to warn Steve. He’s comes in hot waves with no warning. Crying out into Steve’s mouth.

Steve has the sense to realize what’s happening and stops sliding. He lets go of Tony’s hands to sit up and bear sown, squeezing Tony inside him to take him through the last of his orgasm. He tries to memorize Tony’s face. He'll try to paint this later.

Tony for all the patience he’s shown up until now has had enough. His now-free hands grab Steve’s errection and he pumps him roughly. As usual the precum Steve has leaked provides more than enough lubrication. Steve is shocked by the sudden touch, hard firm strokes that feel similar to how he treats himself when he’s alone. But he’s not by himself, and seeing Tony limp from his own orgasm, face set in determination, working him over with both hands is enough to set him off. He shoots long white ropes of cum all over Tony’s chest, some gets up onto his neck and even into his facial hair. Oh god. 

When it's over he takes a moment to brace his arms on either side of Tony and find some equilibrium. Steve knows he’s made a huge mess of Tony, but he doesn’t want to just leave immediately to clean up. Tony solves that for him by pulling him down so their chests squelch together. He presses Steve further, encouraging him to rest more weight on top of him.

“I don’t want to crush you.” says Steve. 

“Mmm, I don’t mind, I want to feel you.” says Tony.

Steve settles over him, resting as much of his weight onto Tony as he thinks he can take. Tony’s softened cock is still inside him. It feels incredibly intimate.

He lets his head drop next to Tony’s on the pillow and just lays there, spent. 

Tony rubs small irregular patterns up Steve’s back. Finally saying, “You’re really happy? With me? I was noticing you seemed a little down earlier, before Rhodey’s call.” 

Steve pulls up enough to kiss Tony. "I’m the happiest I’ve ever been.” he says with conviction, looking into Tony’s eyes.

“Earlier I think I was just realizing what a big change this all would be. Things are so different now, and I knew people wouldn't be against us, against me liking men too... I just had some old fears hanging around in my head. But telling everyone, it's been so good. I'm ready. I really – god Tony, I don’t even have the words to tell you, there aren’t any that seem like they are enough. Even “I love you” seems too small.”

Tony’s eyes go wide at that.

“Oh, umm, sorry, if that’s… if that’s too much. Too soon?” Steve suddenly wishes he wasn’t so close to Tony, looking him right in the eye… god they've only been together six weeks, and they were apart of a month of that. Tony must think it's too soon.

But no, Steve doesn’t regret saying it. It’s the truth. He looks right back at him, he's not afraid. 

Tony’s mouth works for a couple of seconds without any sound coming out.

“I… more-than-love-you, too” he says, his mouth pulled into a funny little smile. 

Steve is so relieved he shifts suddenly to embrace Tony, which results in Tony’s soft cock sliding out of him... along with what feels like an ungodly amount of fluid. It flows down Steve's legs and onto the bed.

Steve lets out a groan, “The comforter, I was being so careful.”

Tony glances down in an effort to understand Steve's sudden distress. Steve has now edged off of him, and is holding himself away from the matress, eyeing the mess they've made of the comforter like a harangued house cat.

Tony finds this hilarious and laughs and laughs until he can finally from words again. “Come on, let’s go shower, I have cleaning bots and a service to take care of that.”

Steve hates the idea of some random cleaning service cleaning up after them like that, but he’s so sticky with sweat and drying ejaculate that he just gets up off of Tony and rights himself on the side of the bed. He offeres a hand to Tony to help him up. 

Tony takes it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next up, Peter! 
> 
> Thanks to everyone who is taking the time to read. I'm excited to post Peter, Thor and Bruce! I may also do a bonus chapter about the public finding out.


	7. Peter

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peter meets the team, and Tony's boyfriend.

Tony and Steve find a new rhythm together and with the team. Now that everyone knows, Steve takes particular pleasure in putting an arm around Tony’s shoulders when they’re hanging out. Or pecking him on the cheek when he does something thoughtful.

Tony takes pleasure in going to sleep every night with Steve in the suite, and when things are quiet disappearing with him for hours during the day undisturbed. 

By and large the group pays no attention, occasionally poking gentle fun at them. Steve brings up “Interpersonal Relationships” as part of the agenda at the next Avengers team meeting. Nobody has much to say after he assures everyone that he and Tony have talked about it, and that their relationship will stay separate from Avengers business.

Steve also asks if anyone else on the team wants to bring up anything around the idea of personal relationships, and there’s an awkward silence. 

Tony coughs, and Steve begins to move the meeting agenda along to training when Vision speaks.

“At this time Wanda and I would like to officially announce our relationship, though much like Tony and Steve’s courtship, I believe everyone is already aware?”

Tony rolls his eyes and Steve can just hear him mumble something that sounds like “Pepper didn’t know…” 

Wanda chimes is. “Yes, um, thank you for making that announcement, here in our team meeting Viz.” She gives him her own blank look before turning to address Steve. “As you say, we won’t let it affect us in the field. My powers tend to be amplified by emotion, so I’ll leave it to you to decide if and when to pair us together in heightened situations.” 

Sam attempts to lighted the mood by saying “I’d like to announce that I’m pretty sure I’m in a relationship with that massage chair Tony has in the spa portion of the gym. Seriously, I am looking into what I need to do for it to be recognized by the state of New York.”

Scott chuckles and Steve gives Sam a raised eyebrow. Tony checks his watch; Vision and Nat stare blankly. 

“Tough crowd.” says Sam.

Scott pats his arm, “Hey man, I thought it was funny…”

Steve moves on to training, and after that the meeting begins to wrap. Tony has one last item.

“You may all remember the friendly neighborhood Spiderman that joined us in Germany?”

Sam grumbles. “The kid with the webs?” 

“That’s the one!” says Tony. “Anyway, he’s sort of been taken under my wing, like a protégé, or no, like a scrappy teen vigilante that won’t take no for an answer? I guess you could say he’s actually like a-“

“Tony.” Steve interrupts. He knows Tony will go on like this for a while. “Why don’t you move on to the point you’re trying to make?” He’s smiling indulgently, where once he may have been frowning at Tony’s lack of focus. Turns out that’s what happens when you’re in more-than-love.

Tony in turn, where he once would have made some cutting crack about Steve just grins in response and says, “Right, the point is the kid needs to be trained up too. He’s in sort of a holding pattern as a “potential future Avenger.” So, once a month with his aunt’s permission he’ll be joining our training sessions, like a baby-Avenger field trip. That is, assuming everyone is good with that?”

Everyone around the table agrees, though Sam does say “But really, do the webs come _out_ of his body? Because I feel like that’s like, a PPE issue, or a bodily materials hazard we all need to be aware of…”

Tony pushes his tinted glasses up his nose. “The webs are the kid’s own invention; he’s a budding scientist, hence the mentoring. Though I _did_ improve the formula to adapt to the elements and provided a few-“ Tony goes on about Spiderman’s web-shooters for a few minutes until Natasha straight up just gets up to leave.

“Alright everyone,” says Steve, catching the hint. “See you tomorrow for training. Tony is ordering in Shawarma for lunch after so bring your appetites.” Nat throws a small smile their way at that, and Steve realizes a little wistfully that she is the only other member of the team other than Tony that gets the reference. 

* * *

The following month Peter, well, _Spiderman_ joins them for his first training session. Tony insists that he keep his mask on the whole time.

“Mr. Stark, I don’t see why I have to, they’re the Avengers! I’m seeing _their_ faces!” Peter pleads.

“And when you’re a real boy, I mean, real Avenger, you can de-mask. Non-negotiable kid, I promised your Aunt May that you’d be kept under wraps at least until you’re 18.” 

Pete huffs, it’s not like the mask is uncomfortable, he was just looking forward to hanging out face to face. Like a real member of the team. 

The rest of the group is waiting for them in one of the open practice fields. Tony introduces the kid and then tells the field “Activate training green 1.”

The ground rumbles and terrain variations emerge up from the previously flat grass. Where there was once nothing but a lush field, there is now an entire mock-environment with boulders, hills, faux foliage. A couple of fake (but sturdy) light poles and even a few buildings emerge to complete the course. 

This is one of Tony’s most ingenious additions to the compound. There are five different courses, with a ton of different training scenarios for each one. All of them are manned by Friday to be totally random, even Tony doesn’t know what’s coming. Each one has a specific challenge or challenger, and the team will have to work together to solve the issue/defeat the villain. 

He had planned to program even more options, but the Accords II ended up taking less time than he thought they would (or rather, he spent more of his time on the Accords II than anything else in the last month, whatever). 

Scott whistles as the last of the course elements arrange themselves.

“Alright everyone,” says Steve. “This training course is Tony’s brain-child, but that doesn’t mean he has the answers. Friday is manning the course, and it’s on us to work together to beat it.” A count-down clock appears as a hologram above their heads, it begins counting down from two minutes.

“Tony taps the nano-casing on his chest and suits up. Any questions?”

I hologram of the iconic tourist “I heart New York” t-shirt appears over the countdown clock. “Umm, yeah, what’s that?” asks Peter.

Steve rubs the back of his neck, he forgot. “Ah, yes so one more thing to know is that there is a code that will automatically stop all action. The code is “I heart New York.” 

Peter chimes in again. “So do we… do something with the shirt? Like is it part of the game?”

“Nah kid,” says Tony. “It’s just a reminder in case anyone panics or gets pinned down. Just say “I heart New York” and the whole program will pause. We just picked a phrase that nobody would actually say in battle. If we made it “I can do this all day” for example, the program would probably pause in the first two minutes thanks to everyone’s favorite Brooklyn boy.” 

Sam snorts, and Steve playfully elbows Tony in the ribs, even though he’s already in the armor and can’t feel it. 

Tony added the “training safe word” at the last minute just this morning, mainly for Peter. Today is his first time interacting with the team (except for Germany of course). Tony wants to be sure he (and anyone else) can stop whatever will be attacking them if needed. 

The count-down gets to zero and the session begins. The “enemy” of the course emerges immediately as a group of 10-12 floating orbs. The floating balls range in size from about the size of a baseball up to a basketball, and they all shoot lasers at anything that moves with increasing accuracy. 

Both Peter and Scott exclaim at the same moment “It’s just like the lightsaber training remotes in Star Wars!”

The beams don’t hurt, much, but as time goes on their shots increase in intensity from a static shock to a mild taser. They also become more agile and faster. 

The team works well together to take them out, but the more they destroy the more appear, floating up from a variety of hidden outputs all over the course. 

Steve uses the comms to tell everyone at once, “This is no good, they just keep coming. We need to figure out how to actually stop them. Look around for anything that seems different or out of place.” 

But it’s no good, all the balls look the same, and move in the same way. The only thing different about them is how much more advanced they’re getting. At just about the hour mark Natasha notices that one of the floating orbs is just a _slightly_ different shade of grey. She touches her ear, “Everyone rally to my location, I think I see the lead orb.”

Peter webs it down from the sky while Wanda prevents it from getting any more shots off with a forcefield of her magic.

Tony examines the orb and notices a small button at the bottom. “I see a button, but it could be a decoy or trap. Cap what’s the call?” 

“Scott, can you shrink down and take a look at what’s going on inside it? Wanda, keep it immobilized. Everyone else, fall back and provide cover from these other orbs.” As they’ve been talking more orbs have launched and continue to fire on them.

From inside the orb Scott is able to see that the button is connected to what looks like a mini explosive device. He disconnects the circuit and returns to normal size on the ground. 

“Alright,” says Steve, “Wanda, move it up well away from everyone. Tony, Vision, destroy it from afar while we hold off the rest.”

Tony and Vision take aim at the orb, held firm in the distance by Wanda’s red power. Vision sends an energy beam from his forehead while Tony fires one of his smallest, but fastest missiles. 

As soon as the orb explodes, a giant hologram of the Chinese Celebration Ball emoji appears above them, exploding with digital confetti as the Star Wars throne room ceremony music theme from Return of the Jedi plays. The remaining orbs drop to the ground, inert. 

Scott falls into parade rest, and puts his hand over his heart. Peter following suit. 

The team gathers together, and Sam rolls his eyes, “So are they all based on a different nerdy theme like Star Wars?”

Tony’s helmet retracts. “Well A, I don’t know do I? Because Friday has designed all the obstacles so I’m impartial. And two, bite your tongue. Start Wars is a part of the mainstream culture.”

Sam shakes his head but looks like he knows better than to enter into this debate. 

Wanda says “Is Star Wars the one with the light-swords and the big bear with the belt on his chest?”

Nat’s head falls back and she looks up to the sky and sighs. She holsters her gun. “Here we go…” she says. 

Tony, Scott and Peter all start talking at once. Eventually Tony is able to yell above them to be heard by the group: “Hold on, team emergency! Who here has _not_ seen the original Star Wars trilogy?” 

Wanda, Vision and Steve raise their hands.

“Steve! Et tu? I can’t believe I’m dating the uninitiated. Movie night is _happening_ , and happening soon. I don’t care what anyone has to cancel.” 

Natasha and Sam exchange a long-suffering glance. 

“Oh wait, I think I did see them.” says Steve. “Those are the ones with the little boy that races the pod-ships, and he grows up with be evil, and then loses his limbs on the volcano planet at the end, right?”

Tony touches Steve’s cheek and gives him a pitying look. “Oh baby, no… no. The _original_ trilogy.” 

Steve looks bemused. He tells the team to shower/go relax and they’ll meet back up later to debrief, then pulls Tony in for a quick kiss. 

Peter pops up next to them.

“Wow! Wait, Mr. Stark did you say you’re _dating_ Captain America!?” 

Steve’s cheeks go pink. That’s right, Peter doesn’t know.

“That’s right,” says Steve, “Tony and I are together.”

“Like, boyfriends?” asks Peter.

“Oh umm, I think?” says Steve. “That wasn’t really a term when I’m from…” 

Peter does a little fist pump into the air. “Awesome! Can I tell my friend Ned? He’s gonna owe me $20!” 

Tony puts a hand on Peter’s shoulder to settle him down. “Hold on there, underoos, what do you mean Ned owes you $20?”

Tony is starting to wish he could see the kid’s face.

“Oh, well you all, the Avengers I mean, you’re a big topic of conversation at school. Everyone has different theories about who is hooking up with who, who has drama, who is going to have who’s babies. There’s a _ton_ of sites online that dissect all the slightest body language from paparazzi shots and stuff! Anyway the other week someone was sending around this shot of the two of you getting ice cream at this place in Brooklyn? And I _totally_ told Ned you had your “I’m in love face” on looking at Steve, and he wouldn’t believe me! It’s hard to see it because you have the shades on, but I’ve gotten pretty good at reading you. And I was right!” 

Steve has his hands on his hips and he’s shaking his head. “Seriously, does _everyone_ already know about us?”

Tony asks the air around them “Hey Friday, how much traction does our relationship have online?”

In seconds Friday responds, voice echoing out of the armor, “It seems there are multiple fan sites and posts devoted to your alleged relationship, and one tabloid story from a year ago. However, there is nothing that has gained mass awareness or acceptance, Boss.” 

“Huh, okay keep me posted Fri.” Tony turns to the kid. “Here’s the thing, Steve and I aren’t ready for prime time yet, so sure, tell Ned and get your $20, but keep it need-to-know alright?” 

“Yes, I will! Thank you Mr. Stark, and you, Mr. America… er, Mr. Rogers? Wait no, there’s already a Mr. Rogers…”

Tony calls the rest of the nanites back. 

“Go home, Spidey, we’ll see you next month, good work today.” 

* * *

After the debrief, Steve and Tony are relaxing in the suite’s living room when Tony gets a text. It’s a screenshot of Peter’s text conversation with Ned.

Peter >> Stony confirmed!! Srsly, from the man himself, you owe me $

Ned >> No way! For real?!

Peter >> Yes, I saw them kiss and everything 👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨

Ned >> Uhg, I’m so jealous, now you have ~two~ super-dads!

Peter >> Right?! 🤯

Tony laughs and shows Steve, who smiles shyly. 

It’s cute and a little heart-breaking the look of soft surprise Steve gets whenever anyone readily accepts their relationship. Tony isn’t naive, he knows there will be some negative reactions if and when they go public, but for now he relishes every positive one that helps pull Steve further and further from the time he grew up in.

Tony gets up to make popcorn and responds to Peter.

Tony >> Welcome to the super-family, kid 

Tony >> 🇺🇸🤖🕷️💛

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 🇺🇸 🤖 🕷️💛 
> 
> Next up, Thor (and Rocket)!


	8. Thor (and Rocket)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Thor is excited to honor Tony and Steve's love... By crashing their date.

Six weeks post-snap Thor is almost recovered, and he is preparing to join the Guardians of the Galaxy in whatever adventures they find in space. Thor would be happy to stay longer, but Quill and the others are getting anxious to leave. 

After the snap Quill left for a number of weeks to reconnect with his uncle and the family members he left behind on Earth as a kid. Drax and Mantis have been wrapped up most days eating earth snacks and watching a variety of Terran movies and TV shows (Drax – “I do not believe those “ _Friends”_ could have afforded those apartments with New York City real estate prices, it does not make sense…”). 

Nebula has made it her personal mission to defeat all of Friday’s training courses single-handedly. So far she has beaten over half of them, but there are plenty more to go. Tony suspects she will use them as an excuse to stay behind for a while, and he’s glad. Tony has grown fond of the killer blueberry, and the training courses have a hard setting he has not even told her about. 

Rocket has stuck close to Thor in Quill’s absence. They go in to the city with some regularity, where Thor is such a big celebrity that people don’t even glance at the talking racoon. After Thor he actually seems to get along with Rhodey best. Though Rhodey is suspicious that Rocket's interest seems centered around his leg braces, and if they are detachable, and if he wears them at night.

One afternoon the week before they are set to leave, Thor is down in Tony’s workshop having a new setting installed in his arm.

“I know, I know, it is not the most honorable request. Some may even call it trickery.” says Thor. As usual Thor has begun a monologue unprompted while Tony works. “It’s not that I want to use underhanded means. More that, after 1,500 years I am starting to see there is a time and place for methods beyond force.” 

Thor has asked Tony to install a new holographic overlay option for his arm, one that looks like the arm has sustained a major injury to help him mislead enemies. 

“Loki, my brother, was quite gifted at subterfuge. I always looked down on his tactics, but it had its uses, oh yes, much like Loki himself. At first you think, ‘oh that’s terrible’ but then, after a thousand years it grows on you.”

Tony focuses on the last of the code which simulates splattering blood and bites his tongue. He knows better than anyone that people change, and that Thanos was a master manipulator, but he’s never going to tell Thor Loki is forgiven for New York. Thor has regaled them a few times over the last six weeks with how Loki attempted to kill Thanos in the end, choosing to save Thor and sacrifice his own life.

Maybe if Tony had been there, he thinks. But wherever Loki is (Thor is convinced the snap brought him back, but they haven’t seen him), Tony doesn’t want to know about it. 

Rocket has accompanied Thor as usual, and is poking around in some random drawers in the background.

“Hey Rocket-Ralph, quit messing with my stuff.” says Tony. 

“Uhg, as if you have anything I would want!” Rocket scoffs. “The tech on this planet is so out-dated. Thor, I don’t know why you keep having him adjust the arm, I’m telling you, I can do better.” Rocket casually throws a series of bundled wires back where he found them.

“That’s funny, Ranger Rick, because I’m pretty sure you can’t.” Tony is only half-focusing on Rocket. Almost every conversation they’ve had revolves around Rocket’s insistence that Tony is “only a genius on this planet.”

“Uhh, pretty sure I can.” says Rocket, weighing one of Tony’s wrenches in his small hands. 

Tony’s eye twitches as Rocket puts the wrench back in its foam casing backwards.

“Uh huh, speaking of arm-centric inventions, if you’re such a great engineer, where were you when the gauntlet was being made in Wakanda? You know, the thing _I_ made that saved the universe?” says Tony.

Rocket bristles, his fur puffing out slightly. “First of all, everyone knows Suri did all the work on the infinity gauntlet-“

“Why does everyone keep _saying_ that?” mutters Tony. 

“And second, I was _trying_ to cheer up his royal cyclops here, you ass!” Rocket nods his head at Thor.

Thor is paying them no heed, examining his increasingly mangled-looking arm. 

“Right,” says Tony, “I didn’t realize you were Point Break’s emotional support animal, that makes sense.”

Rocket shakes his head. “No one ever knows what you’re saying, you know that?” He picks up another wrench and points it at Tony.

“It’s because you insist on referencing Terran culture every other word. Which by the way, is one of the most boring cultures. Lower than the Sovereign, and they’re just a bunch of plastic with a coat of gold paint!" Rocket tosses the wrench into the drawer he threw the wires. "See, see how you could understand that because I didn’t stop at “The Sovereign”?

Tony is almost done with Thor’s upgrade. “Whatever Short-round, you’re not touching the arm.”

Rocket shrugs as if Tony doesn’t have a say. “You’re still using nano-tech! We give nano-tech to babies! It’s practically useless after a year with the degradation factor, and then you’re left with a total mess.”

“Try that now, bud.” Tony says to Thor. 

He turns to Rocket who has opened a holo-screen and from what Tony can see, he’s is trying to hack him. “That’s true, nano-tech is pretty useless, unless you’ve solve for the degradation, and implement nanocrystal casings. Which I have. My nanites will outlive us all.”

Rocket pauses and looks up at Tony, eyes narrowed. “Impossible, how do you work around the quantum toxicity?”

“How about you stop throwing my shit around, and I show you after I’m done with Thor’s arm?”

He turns to Thor who is looking quite pleased with what looks like a severely mangled arm, complete with exposed bone and spurting blood. 

“You can dial the gore up or down the same way I showed you how to adjust the color.” says Tony.

“Most impressive! Rocket, Tony is one of Earth’s mightiest heroes, and among their most intelligent beings as well, right up there with my ex, Jane, of course.” 

Rocket’s ears go flat at the mention of Jane. Tony can relate. They both brace for one of Thor’s many speeches where he either lists all of Jane’s best qualities, or describes at length why their break-up was mutual. Mercifully at that moment Steve enters the workshop.

Steve smiles at Thor and Rocket. He has a soft spot for Rocket in particular, something about relating to him as “the little guy.” 

“Hey Rocket, hey Thor, wow that arm looks really realistic!" Steve moves over to Tony and smiles at him, touching his elbow. I"just wanted to come see when you’d be ready for dinner. I’m going to call to make a reservation at that new Japanese place in the city.”

Thor looks up from his arm. “Ah Japanese food! I have tried sushi, it is some of Midgard’s most delectable food-stuffs. Do they serve sushi at this restaurant?”

Steve hesitates, he sees where this is going.

“Oh, um yeah Thor they do have sushi. But actually I was just going to dinner with Tony-“

“Steve!” Interrupts Thor. “We gladly accept your invitation to the sushi restaurant.” Thor wraps his gruesome-looking arm around Rocket and goes on “What time should we be ready to accompany you?”

Tony says nothing, just rests an elbow on the workshop table and leans back to enjoy watching Steve squirm.

“I – that is, this dinner with Tony and I, Thor, it’s actually a… date? Sorry I think in the commotion of Thanos we didn’t get a chance to tell you. We’re dating, or um together, you know.” Steve’s cheeks are pink.

“Oh, yes! I had noticed you two were getting quite handsy with one another. What wonderful news. I shall happily come along on your date to celebrate your love.” Thor is all smiles. 

Tony squints at Thor now. He’s not sure if Thor is constantly trolling everyone, or if he really is as oblivious as he seems. 

Rocket looks from Steve to Tony, then says to Steve “Huh _you_ , with this guy? You could do better…” 

Steve presses on, sensing that he’s in a losing battle. “Well, I mean of course we are happy to spend time with you Thor but-“

“And Rocket! Don’t forget my small woodland friend, he wouldn’t miss this opportunity to experience sushi!”

Steve looks desperately to Tony for help.

“Looks like it’s a reservation for four” Tony says, grinning manically. 

He doesn’t really want to spend the evening with Thor and Rocket any more than Steve does, but Steve has the most adorable blush going, and Tony knows the entire dinner is going to be full of awkward!Steve, which is his second-favorite Steve. 

Steve tries one more time. “I’ll call to see if they have a private table for four. It’s a pretty small place, they may only have tables for two left-“

“Ah to be a part of a romantic couple again!” interrupts Thor. “I have so many cherished memories of that time with Jane. Just her and I, caught up in a lover’s trance. But oh how these last years have been lonesome. The past few months especially… Although I was able to save the Earth and return my people, it _has_ been a difficult time…”

Steve silently pleads with Tony.

Tony just turns his attention to Thor, who is still going.

“… My planet destroyed, my father dead. Had to kill my sister. My brother died, he’s back but he did die of course... Oh what a year.” Thor refuses to break eye contact with Steve, who is now a lovely shade of strawberry.

“I’ll… I’ll make that reservation for four.” says Steve.

And that is how Rocket, Thor, Steve and Tony ended up on the universe’s weirdest double-date. 

* * *

After sushi they get ice cream, and then they all take a paddle-boat ride in Central Park. 

They rent a second boat when Rocket and Tony challenge Thor and Steve to a boat race (“Brawn verses brains” Rocket so delicately dubs the match).

The police are called when the makeshift motor Tony and Rocket have cobbled together catches fire and explodes. 

It’s one of the best nights in the city Steve has ever had. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I love the idea of Rocket slowly coming around to Tony. And Thor has become such a fun character in the MCU, he is absolutely fucking with Steve here 😂


	9. Bruce

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bruce is worried about Tony.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dubious science ahead!

Bruce spends two months after Thanos in one of Tony’s most isolated properties in the Alps. The Hulk has never just, refused to come out before, especially when Bruce has been in danger. He thinks if he gets calm enough, meditates enough, he can figure out how to “fix” things with his big green alter-ego.

Bruce never thought he’d be  _ trying _ to get Hulk to come out. Five years ago he would have given anything for Hulk to have this bad a case of stage fright.

After two months, he thinks he understands why Hulk won’t come out, but he’s no closer to actually getting him to emerge. Bruce decides to go back to the New York compound and continue his research there. He might as well be with the team, and if Hulk does decide to show, he’s sure Tony and the rest of the group will help him manage.

Bruce arrives and misses Thor and the Guardians leaving by about a week. He would never tell Thor, but he’s relieved the compound is less crowded and fairly quiet as a result. Tony gives him the run-down of how the team is functioning and offers him some lab space of his own down in the workshop. 

Things are calm for a single day. The day after Bruce gets back they all get the call from Steve via their nano earpieces. Bruce is in the kitchen making a sandwich when it comes in.

“There’s some sort of huge sentient plant attacking the Brooklyn Bridge, all available Avengers assemble. Coordinates to follow… or just head out to Brooklyn, you’ll see it.” 

Bruce stiffens at the familiar twinge of The Hulk pulsing at the edges of his consciousness. Tony comes up to him, already half-covered in his nano-armor.

“You coming with, Green Bean?” asks Tony.

Bruce tries, he focuses on the danger, on the people who may get hurt by this mystery plant. They need him, they need The Hulk. But it’s no good. The feeling fades and Hulk is gone.

Bruce sighs. “I guess not.” He motions to his un-transformed body. “I guess I’ll be on the comms if you need any research… sentient plant, maybe I can find something if it’s similar to any known flora.”

Tony gives him a small smile as the rest of the nanobots converge over his face to complete the armor. 

“Sounds good Brucie, I’ll send you the live feed from the armor.” 

Tony shoots off like a rocket out of the compound, leaving Bruce alone with his frustration. 

* * *

In the end the team defeats the antagonistic plant fairly easily. Wanda is able to remove it from the bridge with her magic and Falcon and Vision distract it while Tony stuns it with an electric shock. The port authority helps wraps the unconscious plant-creature in a net and it is taken away to be held in a containment unit for further study.

Bruce feels pretty useless until Tony tells him Friday is picking up some kind of micro-spore on the suit that came off of the plant. When the team returns, Bruce leads the decontamination procedure for them to re-enter the compound. He also takes several samples of the spore, and each team member’s blood for analysis. 

For the first time in weeks he feels useful, conducting a variety of tests and experiments on his samples to ensure everyone is safe. 

His positive outlook crashes to a halt when he gets to Tony’s blood sample. 

* * *

Tony and Steve are in the middle of “post-mission we’re alive” sex when Bruce calls. 

It’s Tony’s third-favorite kind of Steve sex, after Shower sex and Steve-Takes-Control sex. More often than not they have Steve drive things since he’s still pretty skittish that he might hurt Tony accidentally in the heat of the moment. Tony has been toying around with fucking Steve in the armor, that way Steve can relly let go and the strength differential would be more even…

Steve is half-way down Tony’s throat and about to come when Friday insists that Bruce says it’s urgent. 

Tony groans around Steve’s errection and lifts off. He continues to stroke Steve as he tells Friday, “No video Fri, just put the call through.”

“Tony, uh, look you need to come down to the lab.” says Bruce. 

Tony eyes Steve’s pulsing errection. “Can it wait… two minutes?” 

“Tony… Tony there’s something wrong with your blood sample. You need to get down here.” 

Tony’s hand stills over Steve, who has gone instantly soft at what he has overheard anyway.

“Be right there. Friday, end call.” 

He turns to Steve, who is white as a sheet. 

“Hey, why the face?” asks Tony. “We don’t know anything yet, it’ll be fine.”

Steve gathers Tony in his arms, and takes a deep breath. “Can I come with you, down to the lab?” 

Tony squeezes him back. “I was going to insist on it.”

* * *

They enter the lab, and Tony cuts right to it. “So what do you see?” Bruce hesitates, glancing at Steve.

Tony waves a “get to it” hand and says “I want Steve here too.”

Bruce pauses for a moment at that, then shrugs, if Tony wants Steve in the loop that’s his call.

“It’s not the spore, or I don’t think it is. No one else on the team has an irregular blood sample, and it would be strange that only you were affected since you had the most protection. The armor has an advanced filtration system, right?”

Tony confirms, “Yeah it’s air-tight. It can go underwater, into space. The spores shouldn’t have had any way in.”

Bruce nods. “That’s what I thought, which means… something else is going on with you Tony.” Bruce pulls up a few different holo-screens. “Here is an example of a normal, healthy blood sample. This one is actually the one we just took from Sam.”

The screen shows a simple map of the blood sample and a few stats.

“And here is the blood sample we have on file from Tony from last year.” The second screen comes up.

“They look the same.” says Steve.

“Right,” says Bruce, “A year ago Tony’s blood looked totally typical, just like Sam’s. But here’s what it looks like now.” Bruce dismisses Sam’s screen and brings up Tony’s new results alongside his old ones. At first glance they look similar, but there’s a series of flags and markers on the new one, and the lab results in the corner have several readings that are highlighted in red.

“What does this mean Bruce? My biology is pretty rusty.” says Tony.

Bruce looks troubled, and pulls up another couple of screens. “Here is my blood sample, and Steve’s.” 

Steve and Tony stare in disbelief. Tony’s new blood sample now looks more similar to Bruce’s blood, or Steve’s than it does to his own blood results from a year ago. 

Tony turns back to Bruce for an explanation, and is startled to see him tinged with green. He looks like he’s barely holding it together.

“I need you to tell me the truth Tony. Have you been  _ experimenting on yourself _ ?”

Steve’s eyebrows shoot up and he looks to Tony for his answer as well.

“What? Brucie-bear, no! I swear, I left all that behind me with extremis. I haven’t been doing any sort of bio-research at all. I can show you my work logs.” 

Steve relaxes immediately. He trusts Tony.

Bruce also looks relieved, but still wary. “So you haven’t revived extremis, and you’re not trying to, I don’t know, replicate anything like the super-soldier serum?”

“No, I swear on the memory of my mother, I’m not.” says Tony, dead serious. 

Steve steps forward, protective. “Bruce, Tony isn’t doing this, so what could be? What do these blood results mean?” He feels sick with worry. 

Bruce rubs his fingers at the corners of his eyes, slightly dislodging his glasses. “Honestly I did notice some changes in Tony when I first saw him. In a lot of ways he looks better than he did the last time I saw him, which was what, over two years ago?” 

Bruce looks at Tony and starts ticking things off on his fingers. “Not as much grey hair, leaner, more muscle mass, more youthful skin, fewer wrinkles… I just thought he was dying his hair, working out more, maybe botox…”

Tony squawks at that. “I do not use botox! I’m just aging like a fine wine, there’s nothing wrong with that!” 

Steve tries to look at Tony with fresh eyes, and realizes Bruce is right. He really does look better than he did a couple of years ago. Hell, even six or eight months ago. 

“Friday?” asks Steve, “Can you pull up an image of Tony from eight or nine months ago, and what he looks like currently and put them side by side?”

The three of them look and it’s… well it’s obvious. Tony lets out a little disgruntled noise. 

Eight months ago he looked, well he looked good, but it’s the face Tony remembers. It’s the face he would expect to see when he looks in the mirror. Tony partied hard in his youth, and he  _ is _ in his mid-forties. He’d made his peace with getting older a few years ago. Some grey hair, a few wrinkles, who cares? He’s happy where he is… 

But the image of him in front of them, as he  _ actually _ is now… jesus he looks about 30, maybe 35 tops. He can’t remember the last time he looked this good. 

“What the fuck? I swear Bruce, I’m not even on a juice cleanse!” says Tony. 

Bruce shakes his head. “I don’t understand how this could happen. The similarities in your blood to the super soldier serum almost look like you’re getting micro-doses of the serum? Your DNA is almost the same as it was in your old sample, 90-something percent I’d guess without further analysis. But these markers,” he points to the little flags on the sample, “they definitely point to a fundamental change in your blood, your DNA.” 

Steve doesn’t understand. “How is this possible? Are you saying Tony has somehow been injected with the serum?”

Bruce sighs. “I don’t know, I’ll need to do more tests. His blood sample isn’t the same as yours Steve, or mine, which has similar markers due to my experimentation which resulted in The Hulk. His sample is somewhere in the middle. If fact it is more like Sam’s than yours, but there are definite changes. And those changes look a lot like the serum.” He turns to Tony. “And you’re obviously showing physical changes. So if you’re not purposely trying to alter yourself we need to figure out what the hell is happening.” 

Tony goes pale, and then flushes. “Um, you said it’s like I’m getting microdoses of super soldier DNA?”

“Yes?” Bruce says. Steve looks at him confused.

“Oh god, this is… yep things are about to get awkward.”

“Tony, what??” asks Bruce.

Tony strokes his almost jet-black facial hair (how had he missed that the grey was disappearing?). Tony glances at Steve. “So I think, I maaay know part of what might be causing this.”

Steve still looks lost.

Tony takes a breath and explains. “So, here’s the thing. Sex can cause people to spread and catch all sorts of things, right? Like it’s the whole reason we practice safe sex, it’s one of the most efficient ways diseases spread.”

“ _ Yes _ ?” Bruce says, clearly not seeing where Tony is going with this. 

Tony eyes Steve meaningfully, and takes his hand. 

“Oh.” says Bruce. “OH. Umm, wow, wait… what?”

Steve is catching up now, and beginning to blush. That’s right, Bruce just got back so he wouldn’t know about them. “Right, sorry Bruce, we told the team just a few weeks after the reunification, but you were gone… and then Thanos, and then you were off in the alps…”

Bruce takes his glasses off and closes his eyes. “Wow, I mean I saw you two were getting along really well…” His eyes pop open. “Wait, Steve likes men? Gah, sorry let’s focus on the issue, Tony’s health.”

Bruce is back in science mode. “So you’ve been together almost… eight months? I think I’ll need to run some more tests. And… I may need to ask some pretty personal questions about your sexual activity.”

Steve’s blush deepens. 

“I’m an open book!” says Tony, squeezing Steve’s hand in reassurance. 

Bruce pulls up a new holo-screen and gets ready to record their findings.

“You know,” says Tony, “it’s too bad we’ll probably have to bury any of your findings Bruce, this would make a killer research publication:  _ Discovering STSSS, Sexually Transmitted Super Soldier Serum _ !”

Steve lets go of Tony to bury his face in his hands. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I think there's more to explore here (what does this mean for Tony's health moving forward? What does this mean for him and Steve? What will Bruce's tests show? Is Tony super strong now? Is this permanent?).
> 
> I don't think all those details really fit here in this fic, but I'll probably explore all that in a different story... Probably with a side of medical-kink haha.


	10. The World

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Steve and Tony knew they couldn't keep their relationship out of the public eye forever.

**Six Months Post-Thanos**

It’s just like any other day. The Avengers are called in to the city to stop the latest villain of the week. They seem to be popping up more and more.

This guy “Whirlwind” uses two hardened steel sawblades to create small tornados by spinning them at subsonic speeds. Nothing they can’t take care of, but Steve, the idiot, decides to throw himself into said tornado to dislodge a little girl that got caught in it, leaving Tony to catch her. Which means he can’t catch Steve. 

Tony drops the screaming girl into her mother’s arms and watches helplessly as Steve goes flying hundreds of feet in the air in the opposite direction.

“Who’s on Cap?” Tony demands into the comms as he blasts away from the grateful mother without a word. The buildings have blocked his view and he didn’t see where Steve landed.  
  
“Anyone? Cap, Steve what’s your 20?” he’s flying full-speed in the direction he knows Steve was blasted. 

_Why the hell isn’t he answering?_

Fear grips Tony at the base of his spine. He’s been with Steve in the field a ton of times since they got together. There have been times before where Steve took a hit that looked bad, but it all worked out. It’s going to work out.

It has to work out.

“Friday, locate Steve, and get me an answer on why nobody is on the _god damn_ comms!” 

“Sorry boss, looks like the Whirlwind’s gusts are disrupting the electromagnetic signals.”

Tony growls in irritation. “Are you telling me my comms tech is getting ganked by wind? _Wind_?” 

“Yes boss, it’s really strong wind. The nano-tech appears to be especially sensitive to it.”

“Fuck. Friday, make a note, we need to outfit everyone with traditional comms units on missions, to act as a backup. I thought to test them in space, but space doesn’t have fucking wind. Also, see if you can find a way to amplify the signal, we need to get back online.”

“Got it. According to traffic camera feeds, Steve is two blocks up and one over.”

Tony gets there in five seconds.

* * *

Steve is there, standing on his own two feet, pulling a car off an old man’s leg. He’s yelling to a passer-by.

“You there, call 9-1-1, my comms system is down and this man needs an ambulance.” 

Tony helps Steve lift the last of it off of him and they set the car down. Another bystander is already bending to make a tourniquet for the old man out of his tie. 

Tony knows Whirl-turd is still out there, but he takes a second to pull Steve to him, almost crushing him under the strength of the armor and his own fear. 

When he pulls back, Steve starts, “Tony?”

Tony retracts the helmet and kisses him, hard. There’s no finesse, it’s not even a kiss so much as a violent press of his lips on Steves, assurance that he’s here. He’s alive. 

Eventually he eases his grip, and relaxes into a real kiss, armoured hands coming up to cradle Steve's face before he pulls away.

“I saw you go flying… didn’t see where you landed. How you landed.”

Steve’s eyes go soft. “I’m fine, Wanda caught me. Comms are down.”

Tony snaps the helmet back up. “I know, Friday’s on it. Come on, let’s take the wind outta this guy’s sails.”

“You know, I’ve noticed your jokes get worse and worse the more worried you are.” Steve says.

Tony scoops Steve up and flies him back in the direction of the chaos. “Yeah well, you try making top-tier jokes when someone you more-than-love is in danger.”

Steve smiles into the wind. 

* * *

Whirlwind’s defeat is a footnote in the news cycle the next day. Instead the headlines that dominate every media outlet, social media site and conversation are:  
  
Captain America and Iron Man Kiss! 

Superheroes In Love 

The Kiss Seen Round the World

Avengers Go Gay 

The Smoochvengers (this one is Tony’s favorite and he secretly has Friday order and save a hard copy) 

Several decent cell phone shots of the kiss were taken by bystanders, and for the next several weeks they are everywhere they look. Tony knows he should apologize. He and Steve have talked about going public, but they’ve both agreed it will be a huge headache, that it needs careful planning. 

But here they are.

They’ve sequestered themselves in the suite since the news broke, just laying around and blocking out everything else (the whole team seems to suddenly have a renewed interest in teasing them, though they’ve known about them since shortly after the reunification). When Tony tries to apologize all he can get out is “I know the timing sucks, but I thought you were dead, or dying, so… I regret nothing.”

Steve laughs and rolls his eyes. “It was bound to happen eventually. The only reason I didn’t kiss you during that mess on the Rhine last month was because of your damn helmet.”

“Hmm, well my nano-tech is highly advanced, Steve. As long as there aren’t like, noxious fumes in the air, I’m pretty sure the helmet will retrack to give you access.” 

Steve kisses him, as though to test it right then even though they’re both on the sofa in loungewear in the master suite of the compound, no armor in sight. 

“Good to know.” he says.

* * *

The Avengers branch of the SI PR team do what they do, releasing a statement approved by Steve and Tony. The two of them do a couple of joint interviews with The Advocate and with one of Steve’s favorite independent bloggers (run by a gay metal of honor recipient who mainly blogs about fixing up old bikes). 

Over the next few months Tony is thankful he’s invested in a barrier similar to the one in Wakanda to surround the compound. Drones and even helicopters trying to access the compounds air-space are gently stopped by the forcefield over two miles out. Friday stops notifying him of all the attempts and just adds it to her weekly report for Scott and X-Con.

For dessert the night after the story breaks, Scott brings out a cake with the best kiss photo printed on it in icing. The team has a good laugh at his practical joke (plus, cake!).

As Scott sets the cake on the table, he says, “I call the lips!” Then he blushes. Then he says “Kidding! Haha, I mean, I actually like the corner pieces… just a stupid joke, uh, who wants cake?” 

Natasha rolls her eyes and begins cutting the cake with a knife she’s pulled out of nowhere.

As she cuts a corner piece for him she says, “Scott, you have a crush on Steve and Tony, we get it, it’s fine.” 

“What, haha?” says Scott, tight smile plastered to his face. “That’s … what are you? You’re so …” 

Scott shrinks down to Ant Man size, grabs a tiny handful of cake and runs away. Natasha hands the corner piece to Tony with a level “Please talk to him, it’s just going to get more awkward.”

They don’t see Scott for two days, and when he’s back everyone pretends nothing happened.

Well, except Tony, who wraps an arm around him during the next movie night and says just loud enough for Scott to hear:

“If I were a sharing kind of guy, you’d be in-like-Flynn, Scott.” He squeezes his shoulder. “But I’m not, and neither is Steve.”

Scott nods quickly. “Yeah no, I get it. I’m pretty sure I’m like 83% straight actually. Hope is thinking she may move out here soon! It’s not that I’m like… you know I don’t _actually_ …”

Tony gives him one more squeeze and goes to take his usual seat by Steve. Maybe it’s out of respect for Scotts awkward crush, but they don’t touch much, just sit together and watch the movie, arms brushing. When it’s over and Tony and Steve head off to bed, Steve gives his a friendly punch in the arm as he goes by.

Scott smiles back, his crush burning a little less brightly now that it's been called out.

It takes a while for it to totally fade, but it does. 

And sure, every once in a while, he thinks of Tony telling him he would be “ _in-like-Flynn,”_ and he gets an extra little spring in his step. Who wouldn’t?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ahhh! That's it! As I've said, I think there is more to come in this series ... There's more time to write what with the pandemic, so while there is still interest I'll keep this going.
> 
> I hope everyone out there is safe and healthy!


End file.
